Nido Room - 6weeks to 18 months

The Nido Room is set up with two areas - Not yet Mobile and Mobile children.

 

Not yet Mobile and beginning to be move

Movement Mats - used for  tummy time to build body strength, this area is also used as a relaxation area.  

Different types of Mobiles - visual, tactile and auditory mobile. For example, bat and ball, gobbi mobile, wooden shapes etc

Mirrors - babies can watch themselves moving or pulling to stand, and this helps develop body scheme. And they love it!

Other activities - Bar and mirror to pull to stand on, shape sorters and puzzles to develop hand-eye coordination, and concentration.

 

Sleeping

In line with the Montessori Philosophy, the children will not sleep in cots, they will sleep on floor mats. The sleeping area for both babies and infants is in the space next to the Nido room. 

Babies/Infants will sleep, eat, and have their nappies changed according to their needs and the daily routine. 

 

​Self expression

Musical instruments, singing, painting, crayons, telling stories, dancing etc will be available to explore though out the day.

 

Language Area

We can offer language to children in every situation by asking questions, listening to/telling stories, poetry, naming objects and movements etc... There is also a section of our classroom devoted to language development.

As language is an abstraction, this is the process we follow:

1. Objects (real or as close to real as is possible

2. Objects with exact pictures to show that an object can be represented by a 2D image

3. Objects with similar pictures so the child can abstract the essential characteristics of what something is.

4. Language cards - images of objects/places etc...

We use what is called a ʻ3 period lesson' which aims for optimum language exposure with repetition to aid in the brain absorbing vocabulary. 

 

Practical Life Area

Care of Self - dressing, hair brushing, nose wiping, button frames (isolating a single skill from dressing ie buttoning, Velcro, etc) and more

Care of Environment indoor and outdoor - mopping, gardening, table scrubbing, sweeping, leaf dusting helping educators clean up a spill or after lunch etc

Food preparation - washing potatoes, peeling bananas, peeling mandarins, cutting apples, grinding basil,  etc

 

Grace and Courtesy

Modelling movement - respecting the environment and walking through a room, movement of furniture, chairs in and out, holding trays, walking around another child etc

Modelling manners - greetings, thankyou, please and so on..

Everything including the role of the adult is involved in grace and courtesy.

 

Movement

Gross Motor - development and refinement Practical life activities, walking, steps, climbing outside, running outside, riding bicycles outside, dancing, carrying trays, rolling mats etc

Fine Motor  - development and refinement Practical life activities such as spooning, puzzles, threading, craft, etc