Approximately fifteen children will benefit from a large, well-lit, warm and welcoming space, and receive the caring attention of two early-childhood professionals, one a French speaker and the other a native English speaker, for a personalized teacher-to-student ratio.
 The 2-year-old section of École Bilingue Chardin smoothly integrates the children into the bilingual preschool, a warm and safe place. Reassuring routines contribute to an environment adapted to the daily life of children at this age.

The Montessori teaching method

For this class, and only for this class, we have chosen to follow Maria Montessori's teaching method because it perfectly meets the needs of children at this age (the need for tidying skills, physical movement, language development, motor skills and social bonding).

Maria Montessori's credo was, "Help me to do it alone." The bilingual 2-year-old section of the school is thus organized into three areas, all of which are essential for the development of the child and his or her autonomy:

Motor and sensory skills

From the age of 2, children are true little explorers of the world around them, and they must be free to move around and explore their environment. At École Bilingual Chardin, everything is adapted to their size. The children will also be able to satisfy their need for "maximum effort" and movement in the motor skills room. Maximum effort and motor skills are a prelude to mental development. The child's concentration on his or her body, which requires effort, will later help him or her concentrate on more intellectual tasks.

Thanks to the Montessori teaching materials, children will also be able to exercise their fine motor skills (puzzles, different shape sorting toys, activities involving opening and closing boxes with different mechanisms, gluing, cutting, stitching, etc.). These materials also allow the child to improve his or her concentration.
Sensory development will also be stimulated (hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste). Here the child will be able to hone his or her perceptions. For example, children will be asked to pair identical sounds, organize colors from lightest to darkest, distinguish between different types of cloth with their eyes closed or determine whether objects are smooth, rough, etc.

Practical life

Practical life materials created by Maria Montessori allow children to imitate the people around them using the gestures of daily life. "In this period he imitates not because someone has told him to do so, but because of a deep inner need which he feels. " explained Maria Montessori.
The role of the educators at École Bilingue Chardin is to give children the opportunity to do as we do and to reproduce our gestures (with activities such as "washing the table", "taking care of plants", "pouring water into a glass", "cutting cucumbers", "using clothes pins", "washing windows", etc.). Children will thus exercise their fine motor skills and overall coordination. Finally, through repetition, and by refining their gestures, they will develop autonomy, self-confidence and self-esteem, essential elements for success in subsequent learning.

Language

Starting at the age of 2, children experience a "language explosion"; children are like a sponge and absorb sounds and vocabulary with bewildering ease. The Montessori educator and his or her English-speaking assistant will therefore focus on communicating with the children using rich and precise terms as well as offer them activities to enrich their vocabulary (classifying images). Every day, educators also read books that tell real, concrete stories.

Art

At École Bilingue Chardin, we also promote art in all its forms. For the graphic arts, the children are encouraged to use pencils, chalk, charcoal, felt-tip pens, paint, and ink. There is also clay for learning about sculpture.
The school provides music boxes, audio books, and real musical instruments to the children. From a very young age, children can be introduced to opera, poetry, dance, etc.

Sports

Sports activities are offered to the toddlers, particularly in the form of baby athletics and baby climbing with professionals specialized in psychomotor education, along with other children's sports (see Sports at École Bilingue Chardin). Periods of relaxation will also be offered.

Going to the Bathroom

At École Bilingue Chardin, children have access to the toilets whenever they need them. We respect the children's pace. They may be “potty-trained” or not. We will ask parents to provide pull-up diapers in order to make this gesture natural. We supportively accompany the children towards reaching this level of maturity.

The cafeteria

Our bilingual 2-year-old section is also a place of sociability. Your child will learn to live with his or her peers. Rules of politeness and courtesy will be introduced in the classroom as your child grows. Lunchtime is a moment of discovery shared with the teachers (who eat the same meal as the children do, and sit with them at their table). The educators will accompany the children patiently and caringly while they learn their table manners, and help them discover different flavors.

Naptime

Rest time is essential. Children who stay at school for naptime will be able to find their own personalized beds. Sleeping habits (cuddly toy/comforter/pacifier) will be respected. Wake-up time alternates in the afternoon.

The School Day

• The day begins at École Bilingue Chardin as follows: for the 2-year-old section, the school doors are open from 8:30 am to 9:00 am to welcome the children.
• In the morning: the children are invited every morning to participate in Montessori activities.
• Recess: every morning, the children can take advantage of our playground to enjoy a breath of fresh air and play with their friends.
• Lunch: at 11:45 am, it's time to share lunch together.
• Naptime: at 12:30 pm, children who stay at school are invited to take a nap or lie down for a quiet time. Children registered for half-day sessions are reunited with their parent or nanny.
• In the afternoon: at 2:00 pm, the children wake up and take part in artistic and/or sports activities in our rooms dedicated to Art and Sport.
• End of the day for everyone: at 4:15 pm, the school day ends, and the children are reunited with their parents or nanny.

On Wednesdays, school only takes place in the morning. The end of class is at 11:30 am, and lunch is not provided by École Bilingue Chardin Preschool and Elementary School. Optional workshops are offered in the afternoon.