Infant / Nido Program Aurora and Naperville

The Montessori Environment for Infants

There are 2 components to the Nido Class: a cozy home-like environment for the non-walking children, and a comfortably created place for the walking child to discover his world by working in it. Understanding and following the needs of the child, and not necessarily those of the adult, the space is created with his success in mind. Furniture is small, very small, to fit the proportions of her body. All of the materials and equipment are life-like, assimilating real ob- jects, but once again, small; designed for use by her tiny hands.

The Non-Walking Space (typically 2 – 12 months of age)

Everyone wants the best for their babies. If it is not home, we try to make it mimic home the best we can. In the environment for the infants and the non-walking children, we create 4 areas that are found in homes: sleeping, personal care, eating, and living/playing.

There is an area just for sleeping; a cozy, quiet area, with cribs available to the children when- ever they need to rest. Personal care and hygiene also has its own space. Bathing, changing, dressing, and everything that belongs with developing the awareness and necessity for caring for our own bodies is contained in one area.

The eating, or food area, has everything from a comfortable chair for the adult to feed a baby, to a small sturdy table and chair presenting the child with a different way to eat. Plates, utensils and even drinking cups are all part of the eating area.

Every home has one area where the family gathers. Our space too provides the child with op- portunities to play (and work) at developing the skills, both fine and gross motor, he will need to move on to higher learning.

The Walking Community (typically 12 – 36 months of age)

This is a community within itself. Here too, we divide the room into areas, to help focus the child’s at- tention and interests. There is still a common place to rest; quietly and peacefully.

The personal care space continues to focus on personal hygiene. We work on independent dressing and undressing skills, and may introduce toileting. The commode is nice and low for the child’s body to sit naturally and comfortably. We do not use pull-ups at CDBM, as they are too absorbent like diapers and we will transition to “training underwear” when ready.

The eating area expands, and now includes a place for the children to help with preparation of the food they will eat. This area is rich in language, sensory input (ah, the smell of ripe strawberries, waiting to be cut!) and real experiences, with real tools, for a real purpose.

Our “living room” now holds shelves with carefully chosen activities that will match the developmental stages of the child. Shelves are rich with materials to encourage language development, art, music, and manipulative play. Everything is designed to help the child refine skills that are based on real-life activities.

Parent Collaboration

Particularly with this age group, working with the parents is of utmost importance. Whether our teachers are involved in giving prenatal information or helping parents to create a beautiful environment for their child at home, we provide support to make the infant and toddler years productive and happy for the whole family.

Our Goal

When all of this falls into place, we can:

• provide experiences that stimulate the senses
• enrich the child’s vocabulary and understanding of language
• provide time for the child to repeat and master activities as long as it is productive
• teach our children how to use tools in his environment such as eating utensils, brooms, sponges, etc.
• give children the opportunity to learn, through the experiences, a sense of self esteem, self worth, and self confidence

Montessori used the phrase, “Help me to do it by myself”. Very young children working toward independence in eating, dressing and toileting, are really working toward what they want to do.
We take each child as an individual, allowing him or her to go at his or her own pace, to achieve independence. Language skills will start to develop rapidly; a growth in independence for self care and other work; and he or she will use his senses to discover the world around him or her. We will take into consideration when a child starts to give us signs that he or she is ready to move up to the next level.

Casa Dei Bambini Montessori School offers a nurturing and developmentally enriching Infant Program in both Naperville and Aurora, providing a safe and stimulating environment for infants to grow. If you’re looking for infant care near you, our program is designed to support the early stages of your child’s growth, focusing on emotional security, sensory development, and early cognitive skills.

Our Montessori-trained caregivers create a calm and loving environment where infants can explore and engage with age-appropriate materials that stimulate their senses. Through gentle interactions, sensory exploration, and social experiences, we promote language development, motor skills, and a strong sense of connection. Our Infant Program is tailored to meet the unique needs of each child, helping them feel secure and supported in their early learning journey.

At Casa Dei Bambini, we understand the importance of these formative months, and our Infant Care program provides the foundation for lifelong learning and development in a warm, supportive, and enriching environment.