Infant Community

Our Infant Community is fully recognized by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and is designed for children from 8 weeks to 15 months old (ages are approximate) and their parents/caregivers under the guidance of a trained advisory. A safe, beautiful, and orderly environment provides activities and materials for our youngest community children. The class meets Friday mornings from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in 9-week session (Fall, Winter, Spring). Enrollment in this program is limited to 8 families to allow parents and children to get to know each other in a small, protected community.

Oak Hill's Infant Community provides an opportunity for parents and infants to spend time together with other families under the guidance of a trained teacher in a relaxed and casual setting.

			A lending library is available for families to check out books and videos.
			A safe, beautiful and ordered environment provides activities and materials for our youngest community of children.

Through our interactions, observations and group discussions it is the goal of the Infant Community to better understand the children's needs and to work together so that we may assist and guide the children along their paths of development.

The special environment of the Infant Community is prepared to meet the varying developmental needs of the children. The beautiful furniture and materials, plus a heated floor, provide a warm and inviting environment.

A unique aspect of all Montessori environments is that children of mixed ages are brought together. The benefit of mixed age groupings is that children naturally learn from one another. The younger, non-mobile children watch with intense curiosity the older children who are crawling, pulling up, walking, etc. The older children are natural role models and active explorers.

At 10:00 a.m. a snack is served for all the children. They sit together at a beautiful table and are offered a vegetable, fruit, rice or bread and water. The children are given opportunities to drink from a small cup and to use small forks and spoons. Special chairs are provided to support the child who is just learning to sit. Children who are not yet eating solids are invited to join the group by sitting near the table and observing the others.

Next to the Infant Community room is the Staff room that is set up for the adults to "take a break" and enjoy some refreshments and a snack throughout the morning. Books, magazines, newspapers and other reading materials are available for browsing. This room allows the adults to separate from the children for short intervals of time while other adults care for the children. This also provides the children early opportunities in life to experience separation and to develop trust that the adult can leave for a short period of time and return.

At the end of each day we gather together to sing some favorite songs and fingerplays. The children love repetition so we develop a repertoire of some of our favorites.