toddler – nest preschool

Learning through free movement

Movement is a crucial part of how children learn, not a break from learning. This is especially true under age six, and our program offers fine and gross motor activities daily. These activities support your toddler in learning to understand cause and effect, solve problems, make choices, and pursue goals.

Hands-on activities through practical life

Toddlers love real-world tasks like mopping and window washing, and these activities are encouraged with guidance and appropriately sized tools. Practical life helps your toddler contribute to their community, build confidence, and fulfills their drive to understand how things work. It also develops their capacity to concentrate, which is key to later academics.

Intentional exposure to language

With deliberate exposure to real, precise and varied vocabulary, your toddler will go from two-word phrases to full sentences. Children experience reduce frustration as they learn to express ideas and feelings in words. Meanwhile, this thoughtful approach to language prepares your little one for reading and writing.

Skills for toilet learning

We support independent toilet use with respect and patience. Montessori guides watch for signs of readiness and motivate without pressure. Child-size bathrooms remove obstacles; familiar routines facilitate a positive experience.

Respectful social and emotional support

One of the most exciting things about working with toddlers is watching them begin to interact, play, and socialize with their peers. Our guides model respectful social interactions, capitalizing on the toddler’s delight in imitation. Formal lessons in grace and courtesy further equip toddlers with social skills and empathy.

toddler curriculum

Explore our rich and structured curriculum, all of which available to your child in both English and Mandarin

Practical Life

Independence

Can choose meaningful work most of the time
Able to show a level of independence in their work most of the time

Psychosensory Motor

Hand-Eye Coordination

Refining of fine motor control
Uses both hands when working on an activity
Can transfer objects through pouring, scooping, squeezing, tonging, placing, etc., with little clean up necessary

General

Able to identify basic colors
Develops awareness of different sensorial aspects in the world around them, such as long and short, rough and smooth, heavy and light, etc.
Develops awareness of the natural world around them, such as early botany, weather, etc.
Develops awareness of the animal classification and qualities of birds, fish, mammals, etc.

Geometry

Able to name basic shapes

Social-Emotional Development

Work Habits

Demonstrates curiosity and positive attitude toward work
Perseveres at tasks
Receptive to lessons and repeats them independently
Purposeful in work
Demonstrates orderly work habits

Interpersonal Skills

Responds to redirection
Demonstrates basic Grace and Courtesy, such as waiting one’s turn to speak

Toileting

Becomes aware of bodily functions and begins to use the toilet independently

Mealtime Independence

Able to feed themselves independently using utensils
Able to help set the table and prepare food items for mealtime

English & Mandarin Language

Speaking

Beginning to speak in full sentences
Communicates needs and wants verbally most of the time
Working on enriching vocabulary
Able to follow oral instructions most of the time
Able to have a two-way conversation

Writing

Begins to utilize three finger pencil grip when using writing instruments

Music

Singing, rhythm activities
Music appreciation

Mathematics

counting

Begins having an awareness of numbers through books and exposure
Begins to understand 1:1 correspondence
Begins to count numbers using the correct sequence
Notices patterns and repetition
Demonstrates awareness of size and quantity