Nido Community

Serving Children from 2 to 14 Months (or Walking Well)
Monday-Friday, Half and Full Day Options

Contents:
  1. Nido Classes
  2. Loving Care and Trust
  3. Language Development
  4. Freedom of Movement
  5. Building the Mind Through Exploration
  6. Early Foundations of Character
  7. Nido Curriculum at a Glance

“The child is endowed with unknown powers, which can guide us to a radiant future”.

Maria Montessori

Nido Classes

2-14 Months

Nido: A Peaceful Nest for Growth

The word Nido, meaning “nest” in Italian and Castellano, reflects the heart of this program. Our Nido environment is calm, peaceful, and thoughtfully prepared to provide infants with a sense of warmth, safety, and security. Simple, ordered spaces filled with natural light create an atmosphere that supports comfort, trust, and ease during these earliest months of life. The program serves children from two months to fourteen months of age.

Fostering Independence and Movement

From the very beginning, Montessori honors an infant’s natural drive toward independence and exploration within loving, age-appropriate limits. In the Nido, this foundation is gently supported through freedom of movement, sensory exploration, and emerging coordination. Infants are welcomed into an open environment where they are free to move, explore safely, and engage with carefully chosen materials at their own pace.

A Natural Foundation for Language

Language development unfolds naturally through warm, responsive interactions throughout the day. Simple sign language is introduced to support early communication, while Spanish is gently woven into the environment as a foundation for second language acquisition. These experiences are offered in a joyful way that respects each child’s readiness and rhythm.

Continuity of Care and Well-being

Emotional security is nurtured through consistency. Feeding, diapering, and rest routines are thoughtfully aligned with each child’s individual needs and familiar home rhythms, helping infants feel understood and supported as they transition between home and school.

Expert Guidance and Trusting Bonds

Children in the Nido are lovingly guided by a trained Montessori guide and a dedicated assistant. Through careful observation and a respectful presence, our guides create strong, trusting relationships that support each child’s growth and sense of belonging.

Peace of Mind for Every Family

Above all, the Nido at SOL offers families peace of mind, knowing their child is held in a calm, loving environment where they are known, cherished, and cared for with intention each day.

We recognize that the ideal place for an infant is at home, held in the loving care of a parent. When this is not possible, we believe the next best place is one that honors the same values of love, respect, and attentiveness. The Nido at SOL is designed to be just that, a gentle, nurturing extension of home.

Half Day Program

5-Day Program
Monday – Friday
8:45 – 12:30h

Full Day Program

5-Day Program
Monday – Friday
8:45 – 15:15h

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Loving Care and Trust

In the earliest months of life, infants need to be held, responded to, and lovingly cared for in order to develop a deep sense of trust, both in the world around them and in the adults who care for them. In the Nido at SOL, guides build this trust by observing each child closely and responding to their individual rhythms. Infants are fed when they are hungry, rested when they are tired, and invited to explore when they are ready, all within a calm, safe, and nurturing environment. This respectful responsiveness allows children to feel secure, understood, and at ease.

Language Development

The Nido environment is rich in thoughtful, intentional language. Throughout the day, adults gently narrate daily experiences, giving clear and meaningful words to what the child is seeing, feeling, and doing. Spoken language is offered with care, softly, slowly, and with warmth, through conversation, songs, rhymes, stories, and loving eye contact. During this sensitive period, infants naturally absorb language, laying important foundations for communication, reading, and future learning.

SOL is a bilingual environment with at least one educator speaking fluent English and another speaking fluent Spanish in every classroom.

Freedom of Movement

Movement is a vital part of development in all Montessori environments, and especially during infancy. The Nido is designed to support the many physical milestones of this stage, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, and eventually walking. The space offers ample opportunities for safe, independent movement, helping infants strengthen their bodies and build coordination at their own pace.

Low mirrors encourage self-discovery, while thoughtfully designed elements such as low bars, soft furnishings, and child-sized steps support balance, climbing, and confidence. When infants are free to move and explore, they gain not only physical strength, but also independence, curiosity, and a growing sense of capability.

“The hand is the instrument of the mind”.

Maria Montessori

Building the Mind
Through Exploration

Dr. Montessori observed that when infants explore objects with their hands, powerful learning takes place. Through touch, grasping, and manipulation, the brain begins to organize information and make meaningful connections. In the Nido, materials are carefully chosen to support these early discoveries, inviting repeated exploration and concentration.

Each object in the environment is purposeful, aligned with the infant’s developmental readiness and sensitive periods. As children engage with these materials, they refine hand-eye coordination, build focus, and experience the deep satisfaction that comes from discovering the world through their own efforts.

Early Foundations of Character

In the earliest stages of life, children begin forming the foundations of character that will guide them well beyond infancy. Through loving care, consistent routines, and respectful interactions, infants develop a deep sense of trust and emotional security. When they are given time, space, and freedom to move and explore, they begin to build confidence in themselves and in their abilities.

At SOL, we understand that character grows through experience. By honoring each child’s rhythms, encouraging independence at an appropriate pace, and responding with warmth and attentiveness, we support the development of patience, resilience, curiosity, and a quiet sense of self. These early foundations, formed through love, respect, and trust, become the roots of character that children carry with them as they grow.

Nido Curriculum at a Glance

The Nido curriculum at SOL supports infants during their earliest months of life, honoring their deep need for security, gentle care, movement, and connection. Learning experiences are thoughtfully organized around four essential areas: Movement, Language, Sensory Exploration, and Care of the Body. Through loving and responsive relationships, freedom to move and explore, and carefully selected materials, infants begin to develop coordination, early communication, and a growing sense of trust in the world around them.

The environment is intentionally calm and ordered, offering rich spoken language in both English and Spanish, consistent rhythms, and continuity between home and school. These elements support emotional well-being and help infants feel safe, cared for, and connected. Together, the Nido curriculum nurtures the whole child, laying the earliest foundations for confidence, independence, and a joyful relationship with learning.

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