I think the best think I ever did was put the TV away when DD was 13 months old. The family room became a very chill space with, music, audiobooks, comfy places to read, and wooden blocks and animals (among other toys.) It was so simple and easy. We read our daily stack of books I put next to my chair. Every once in a while I would lie down on the rug and play (show her more advanced pretend playing scenarios.) By the time she was 2.5 she was playing by herself like that for hours at a time.
She still does. She can play so well by herself and with others. I am really proud of that. She goes off into her own little world and creates with many of the same toys she had when she was two. The other day she created an "entire world." She had taken every single block we own and built a small city. When she ran out of blocks she used game boxes and other toys. Trains were taking little people around. Animals had paired off into each dwelling. She even drew "plans" for the city at her art table.
I was never worried about teaching. We just gave her opportunities to learn--good toys (open-ended, nothing electronic,) free time, lots and lots of reading, and lots of outings. I learned very early on that DD was happiest at museums. It was exploration not instruction. I also learned that while in the car DD needed to play word games. It was playful, not drilling. It is not that I have these ideals. I really think this is optimal for us.
Anyway, I don't know much about Montessori, but two-year-olds should not have "learning materials." Back to ideals--Everything should be something you can pretend with. Preschool should be about discovering how to learn. Learning should not be spoon fed. Learning should not be an activity, it should just happen spontaneously. You are nurturing a love of learning.
If she wants to count it will happen. I remember the first time DD ever counted something beyond 30 it was at Hanna Andersson while we were waiting in line. She started counting the marbles on the wall. Once we were locked out of our car for hours. I gave her a bag of change while we waited and she made trains and just started counting all of them looking to me for help. We had never taught her how to count prior to that. We never had to work on that. I believe the first letter she recognized as a letter was a G from her GAP jeans. I remember she thought the N on my shoes was a Z because it was sideways. I remember writing out sentences on the back of restaurant menus to entertain her before our food arrived.
So, that is my philosophy. Do not worry about pushing your baby ahead. She will get there own her own. Be there when she has questions. Offer her opportunities. It is not a race. She has her own timeline. She is obviously doing great and ahead of the curve. Was that because you were hothousing or was it innate? Let her do her thing.
