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Nido

Our Montessori Nido community focuses on two basic needs of the infant— a safe bonded relationship between adult and child and the development of the child’s growing sense of self and independence.

Nido Meaning

The word ‘Nido’ is derived from the Italian word meaning ‘nest’ and it conveys the spirit of the infant environment. Our classrooms are comforting, warm and inviting with care being taken to provide nurturing, calm stimulation to enhance the development of the young child. The simplicity and aesthetic order of our Nido Montessori environment supports safe discovery of the world as the child sensorially explores the environment. These spaces are then thoroughly enhanced by the tender care and developmental support offered by our staff.

Trust is a basic need that must be nurtured in the young child. Our trained staff care for and respectfully respond to the needs of each infant and in so doing encourage the development of that trust and convey a message of unconditional love and acceptance. As the child develops, this trust will serve to foster risk-taking and learning.

Infant Montessori Program Highlights

  • The Nido Montessori classrooms have 9-10 children each ranging in age from 8 weeks to 18 months.
  • The adult to child average ratio is 1:3 with a Montessori Certified Lead and two assistants.
  • The Nido Montessori program strives to foster independence, physical development, and language development for the infants. This is achieved by having open, safe classroom where the children are not inhibited by items such as playpens and walkers.
  • Every classroom keeps daily charts on the children. These are posted on the wall inside the classroom and document every time a child eats, sleeps, works, or has a bodily function.
  • Sign language is used in all Nido classrooms in order to help the young child communicate effectively.
  • The children go for daily walks both inside the school as well as around the neighborhood in buggies which seat six children at a time. The Nido also use wagons for this purpose. Staff maintain a teacher to child ratio of 1:4 during walk times.
  • The teachers help the children to sit on small chairs with arm support, around 5 or 6 months when they can sit by themselves. The teachers also assist them to drink milk/water from open cups and eat using a fork and spoon.
  • The parents and the teachers work together VERY closely during this time in order to ensure that there is consistency between home and school.

Nido Montessori Walking Bridge

The walking bridge is a material in the Nido class that provides challenges to the mobile infant. It helps aid in the development of pulling up, crawling and then walking and allows the infant to climb on his or her own with close supervision of an adult.

As parents who decided to fully embrace Maria Montessori’s practices both at home and at school, we could not be happier with the loving and supportive environment we found for our son within the Nido community at MAC. We have watched him thrive and learn in this beautiful community and we have a peace of mind that he will be well-supported while we are at work.
-Elexis & Brian, Nido Parents

To learn more about our Nido program and curriculum, download the program profile below.

Nido Profile

Now accepting applications! To learn more about our admissions process click below.

Admissions Process