fbpx

Why our classes?

A whole new era of Newborn Baby Toddler classes has started!

SensorStory Baby & Toddler Classes – Early learning through play the Montessori way.

We’re passionate about giving you & your child the best possible start with guidance, support, & classes you both love, making memories with your little one to last a lifetime.

SensorStory’s unique parent-child classes are Montessori sensory classes, creating enriching experiences for little ones & their grown-ups.

Approved by babies & loved by grownups, our program delivers multi-sensory storytelling, music, massage, Baby Sign language, messy play & more, to create child-centred, hands-on, interactive experiences through two stage-based Chapter’s! Created by Montessorians with passion & creativity to support the developmental needs of babies & toddlers from birth to 3 years old, each of our Chapters has been thoroughly researched & thoughtfully created to devise meaningful lesson plans specific to your child’s age & development.

SensorStory is where storytelling comes to life! Using our special musical story play we bring our own original story themes to life in beautiful simplicity to delight all little ones – all sessions are accompanied by our own original fun tunes, relaxing lullabies, remixed nursery rhymes and music that helps baby bloom! We incorporate Baby Sign Language for our little SensorBaby’s & their families in our Baby classes as they journey into the wonderful world of language & communication, & we often include an optional gentle guided massage in the course – using the magical power of touch our accredited routines leaves grown-ups & babies with a sense of peace & tranquillity – don’t be surprised if it sends baby into dream land for that soothing post-class nap. Our exclusive program is also designed to help promote & strengthen bonding between baby & their grown-ups, encourage a sense of self-confidence in your little one, whilst providing a fantastic opportunity for parents to meet other parents of tiny’s in their local area.

Montessori is, without a doubt, learning through play. However, it might be different from the kind of open-ended play you see elsewhere

Did you know?

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that the first three years of life is the most important time in terms of development for humans & modern science still agrees.

“The first three years of life are the most fundamental in the development of human beings and their potential – profound intelligence is formed and the infant’s physical development is phenomenal. It is a period when the core of personality and the social being are developed.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

During the first three years of life, the brain absorbs & processes more information than at any other time in life – from birth, infants are receptive & respond to all aspects of their environment, absorbing the language & culture around them. Babies crave sensory stimuli, they deeply desire to absorb every sight, sound, smell, taste, & touch around them to acquire knowledge of the world.

“Play Is The Work of the Child” – Dr. Maria Montessori

baby classes from birth to 3 years old

Our fun and interactive program is suitable for little ones from 6 weeks to 3 years old. During this stage of development, infants move through sensitive periods for movement, hand-eye coordination, language, order, sensory exploration, social interaction & small objects. SensorStory’s Chapters focus on providing children from 0-3 with the optimal learning environment through our prepared environment, materials, & guidance to discover the world around them & their full potential.

You will notice some overlap in the suggested age ranges for our classes – this is because all babies develop differently, & so these ranges are given as guidance only. Your baby’s development path is just as unique & personal as your baby & nobody knows your little one like you do – so we encourage you to make the decision on when your little one graduates from one Chapter to move up to the next.

Our parent-child classes at SensorStory follow Montessori philosophy – where our unique approach is adapted to suit our “pop-up” style classes. SensorStory’s approach incorporates the principles of Montessori education with a focus on the five key areas of study in each lesson plan within an Early Years rich & varied environment, together with Montessori materials & activities that are aligned with the Montessori method to provide a program that delivers a child-centred Montessori inspired curriculum.

Our Montessori materials encourage practical skills, fine motor precision & gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, pre-reading skills, language, support your child’s budding independence, sensory exploration & perception, math skills, movement & tune into your little one’s sensitive periods for small objects & order as well as social interaction, nurturing the whole child.

Our Montessori materials are proportionate to the child’s size & designed to be safe & aesthetically pleasing for children to allow them to absorb every sight, sound, smell, taste, & touch around them.

 

Weekly classes include uninterrupted free-flow play, with small mixed-age classes we include structure & purpose within a rich & stimulating environment that does not inhibit the spontaneity of childhood. Group activities such as singing, storytelling, food preparation & snack time provide your little one with the experience of belonging to a community – with a new, real-life theme each week, theme time provides a framework to encourage social development. For our youngest children, we also often offer a calming guided massage at the end of a class & for our toddler communities, we offer lessons in Baby Sign language.

The benefits of the Montessori method are time-tested & continue to be proven to deliver outstanding well-being & academic outcomes for children.

“Children acquire knowledge through experience in the environment” – Dr. Maria Montessori

From birth to three years

SensorStory offers two stage-specific Chapters in our Montessori program, all linked to the EYFS.

 Chapter One – Baby Bubble – suitable from birth to walking independently. Suggested age: Birth to 14 months.

 Chapter Two – Toddler Society – suitable from walking to 3rd birthday. Suggested age: 14 months – 36 months.

Chapter One: Baby Bubble – crafted for babies from 6 weeks to independently walking.
(Baby Program)

During that magical ‘Baby Bubble’ in the first few months after birth, we aim to promote bonding, offer a place for parents to meet others, relax & soak up all the snuggles in this very special time in parent-baby’s life. This program is designed to be a space of calm, relaxation, where tea and coffee are freely available in the kitchen. Each class offers a baby sensory experience, together we journey through interactive multi-sensory stories, enjoying time to ‘just be’, tranquil sound journeys, connecting with baby and making new friends – forging friendships for life.

 

SensorStory’s Montessori Baby Program provides children with a nurturing learning environment full of educational materials that meet their specific developmental needs & interests during the first few months of life with opportunities for learning through movement, exploration, & connection. Classes are hands-on, and involves learning using all five senses. Children are introduced to the five areas of the Montessori Curriculum, including: Art (self-expression), Music and Movement, Practical Life, Eye-hand coordination and Language. and develop competence through repetition and practice. During this wonderful time as your little one moves from rolling to sitting up independently, then to pulling themselves up, fun and laughter is the name of the game! Delighting baby’s senses, our super bouncy, extra jingly, delightfully colourful, humongously fun and highly interactive class.

Courses often included optional Baby Massage and Baby Sign Language activities.

Learning goals for infants focus on movement skills, language development, developmental milestones, fine motor development, social skills, and the joy of every child.

The Baby Program is suitable for children from 6 weeks to independently walking – around 14 months old. Baby’s may be comfortable staying in this program slightly longer, additionally, some baby’s may move up to the toddler program from 12 months old. Nobody knows your babe like you do, so we encourage you to decide when you feel as though your little is ready to graduate Chapter One and enter Chapter Two.  Around 4 months, your little one has left the newborn stage & entered a world of new physical development – tummy time continues to be important, their hands start to open up, they are building the muscles to set their bodies up for rolling, their leg wiggles are starting to turn into kicks & and they are building core strength now to be able to sit up later.

Once children complete the Baby Program, they progress to the Infant Program, where they gain a formal introduction to all five areas of the Montessori Curriculum.

To read more about multisensory stories, take a look at our article Why we love multisensory stories.

This program is designed to support your developing baby in your baby’s First Plane of Development.

To read more about babies First Planes of Development, take a look at our article Four Planes of Development.

Chapter Two: Toddler Society – crafted for babies from walking to 3-years-old.
(Toddler Program)

During this incredible time as your little one begins life on the constant move, extraordinary development is taking place! Captivating baby’s sensitive periods, our fun & relaxing classes provide a prepared environment with new opportunities for movement, social development, Baby Sign Language, story-telling, food preparation, snack time & sensory play, dedicated exploratory play & sensorial activities & aim to provide a space of calm & relaxation for little ones their grown-ups.

Toddlers are introduced to the five areas of Montessori curriculum; Art (self-expression), Music and Movement, Practical Life, Eye-hand coordination (early math and pre-writing skills) and Language.

SensorStory’s Montessori Toddler Program is hands-on, active & offers little ones an ordered learning environment where they are empowered to choose their activity, follow their interests, & progress at their own pace. Within this space, children develop their independence, refine their concentration, & explode into learning as they develop their intelligence & higher-level brain processes, providing rich opportunities for learning that nurture children’s complete development.

Montessori practice is typified in the following ways: small & mixed-age classes, a carefully planned, ordered & structured environment providing age- & size-appropriate equipment with free access to Montessori materials, providing a caring & nurturing environment based on mutual respect between adults & children.

The Toddler Program is suitable for children for confident walkers to 36 months (3rd birthday).

Learning goals focus on developing independence, social skills, confidence, and a solid academic base in preparation for future learning.

To read more about your little ones sensitive periods, take a look at our article Sensitive periods.