Toddler Program

Riverbend’s Montessori Toddler Program fosters curiosity and independence in a caring, home-like environment. A great alternative to daycare in Natick for children beginning at 18 months of age, Riverbend provides a warm community for a child’s first school experience. Our expert teachers prepare a rich learning environment that fosters social, emotional, developmental, and psychological growth for each child. Students enjoy individual and group games, world music, story time, arts, and outdoor play with friends.

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Toddler in Nature class

Nature Education

Nature education is a fundamental part of the Montessori curriculum. Nature class is a key part of the Children’s House experience, as students learn about their environment through a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. Students also enjoy outdoor classroom space year-round as they observe nature in action.

Toddler friends

Five-Day Program

Our five-day Montessori Toddler program lays the foundation for a sense of school community. The same group of children come together each day, learning from one another and deepening relationships that will continue throughout their time at Riverbend. These students love coming to school!

Teacher working with a toddler

Warm, Caring Environment

At Riverbend, small class sizes allow teachers to closely support students as they explore, engage, and master tasks to reach key milestones in their development. Each student receives individualized attention and all classes are co-taught. Riverbend is a wonderful alternative to daycare as students transition from home to school.

Toddler Program

A Day in the Life

  • Expert teachers who provide a nurturing, safe environment
  • Hands-on activities that support rapid brain development
  • Significant time exploring nature and experimenting with art
Sample Schedule

Rapidly developing, constantly exploring, determined to do things independently — toddlers learn by working with materials that develop their brains through direct experience: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and movement. Every element in the design of the Children’s House learning environment empowers young children to dive right in, using all their senses to follow their emerging and evolving interests.

Independence

With support from teachers, toddlers learn to take care of themselves and their belongings with confidence. “I can do it myself!” can be heard in the hallway every morning.

fine motor skills

Children build hand strength and coordination through reaching, grasping, picking up objects, transferring objects, using tools and utensils, and doing art work.

social skills

Our program fosters essential social skills like taking turns, sharing, being a follower and a leader, cooperating, following rules, solving problems, taking direction, and playing with friends.

math

Toddlers learn to count, identify shapes and numbers, and use manipulates to understand quantity and patterns. Montessori materials help animate this early introduction to math.

Montessori Toddler Curriculum Highlights

Practical Life is the replication of real-life tasks in the classroom, carefully designed to build independence and important skills. Children are encouraged to experience activities that mimic practical experiences in life—such as buttoning shirts, pouring milk, sweeping the floor and polishing tables—to help them focus on caring for themselves, for others, and for their environment.

Mathematics moves from concrete to abstract, using manipulatives to understand quantity, patterns, and shapes. Students are introduced to rote counting, number recognition, and basic shapes/secondary shapes.

Language integrates rich pre-reading and pre-writing resources and activities throughout each day. The spoken word is central to the Toddler classroom, as students learn to talk fluently and gain new vocabulary daily. Spanish language is introduced at the Toddler level.

Spanish classes are offered weekly at the Toddler level. The program includes music and concrete materials, which are fundamental elements for teaching and acquiring the Spanish language at this age.

Art is infused into the curriculum wherever possible. All Toddler classrooms include a dedicated art area, and children in the Toddler program engage with art daily.

The music curriculum for Toddlers is based on songs, simple circle games, and finger-plays. Children practice keeping a steady beat through bouncing, tapping, and clapping activities. Finger-plays help to develop fine motor skills. Songs and rhymes are crucial components in the development of language. In addition to these daily classroom music activities, structured music classes from Jammin’ With You are offered monthly.

Toddlers enjoy PE class weekly. Throughout the year, students are exposed to numerous sports and activities that spark excitement and a passion for physical education. 

Toddler students have Nature class, participating in nature walks and observing nature in action. With a hands-on and inquiry-based approach, the lessons are child-centered. Nature lessons coincide with classroom themes, so that these skills are continuously reinforced. The goal is to learn science skills while gaining an appreciation and respect for the natural world. Activities include movement games, observation using all the senses, dancing, singing and exploring. Most lessons incorporate math and language to reinforce classroom learning.

Toddler Curriculum Details Here

Find out more about Riverbend’s Montessori Toddler Program in Natick (Ages 18 months–3 years)

Our admissions staff would love to work with you as you decide if Riverbend is the right daycare alternative for your child! Our hands-on learning environment inspires curiosity, independence, and a lifelong love of learning. Please reach out to our admissions staff by email at admissions@rvbs.org or fill out our inquiry form. We’d love to hear from you!

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Riverbend student on the quad
Primary Program Information (Age 3 – K)