Toddler Programs for 10-24 Months | Corlears School | Chelsea, NYC

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About

Designed for wonder, Corlears provides children with a learning environment built on trust and rooted in love.

Our Toddler Program has two schedule options:

A 2-day Caregiver & Me class for children ages 10–16 months
Or a 3- day Gentle Separation class for children 16–24 months.

Our Toddler Program provides safe, nurturing, and intentionally designed environments where children are encouraged to explore freely—investigating their interests, developing confidence, and cultivating a sense of discovery and belonging.

These meaningful daily experiences support growth across all areas of development—social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative—while honoring the individual way each child learns, grows and engages with the world.

Eligibility

Caregiver & Me: 2-day Program

Children must be 10 months old on or before September 1 to be eligible for a fall start.

Gentle Separation: 3-day Program

Children must be 16 months old on or before September 1 to be eligible for a fall start.

For children turning 2 on or before October 1, check out our Nursery classrooms.

Options + Extended Day

All toddler classrooms follow a half-day school schedule.

Caregiver & Me Program

Our Caregiver & Me program meets on Tuesday & Thursday and is designed for our youngest learners (10-16 months). This program runs from 8:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. (Sep-Jan) and 8:45-11:15 (Jan-Jun).

This program is designed to support children and families in their first school experience. Through a meaningful, collaborative process, child, caregiver and teacher work together as co-learners to build foundational skills needed to thrive in a classroom environment. Children will engage in sensory-rich experiences, explore with open-ended materials and develop a sense of belonging outside of their home in a thoughtful and purposeful way. Teachers offer guidance, encouragement and support to children, as well as caregivers, to scaffold organic learning, growth and development.

The Separation Process

Our Caregiver & Me program offers an introduction to the separation process that typically begins in mid-January. Because every toddler and family builds comfort and confidence at their own pace, we partner closely with caregivers to first create a nurturing environment built on trust, connection, and responsiveness. As children grow more secure in the classroom, caregivers are gently supported in stepping back, allowing for increasing independence. The pace of this transition is individualized and guided by each family's needs, helping ensure a positive and successful experience for everyone involved.

Gentle Separation Program

Our Gentle Separation program meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and is designed for older toddlers (16-24 months) This program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Sep- Jan) and 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Jan- Jun).

This program is designed to support children and families as they begin their school journey with a more focused approach to separation. Through meaningful relationships and a responsive, nurturing environment, teachers build authentic connections with children, creating a strong sense of trust, and belonging. As children feel known, valued, and cared for, they develop the confidence to explore, take risks, and independently engage in the classroom community. Teachers partner closely with caregivers to support a gentle, individualized, intentional separation process, organically building children’s comfort, stamina and eventually leading to a fully independent school day. Through sensory-rich experiences, open-ended exploration, and joyful opportunities for discovery, children investigate their interests, form connections with peers, and develop the foundational social-emotional skills needed to thrive. Guided by caring educators, each child is supported at their own pace as they grow into a confident and capable classroom learner.

The Separation Process

Our Gentle Separation program supports an intentional separation process starting in September that typically takes between 4- 12 weeks and is responsive to the needs of each child and family. Understanding that every toddler adjusts at their own pace, we work closely with caregivers to create an environment of care, trust, and responsiveness that supports each individual's learning journey. Depending on the needs of the child and family, the timeline and approach may be adjusted to ensure a successful and positive transition into the program.

Individualized responsiveness is at the heart of the work we engage in with children and families. No matter the program you choose, our educators are trained to provide exceptionally nurturing comfort and care as a meaningful part of the separation-attachment process. This ensures every child feels a sense of security, confidence, community, and belonging.

How to Apply

There's no simpler way to start your child's Corlears journey than registering for the Toddlers! Applications are accepted year-round and processed on a rolling basis.

To apply, submit an application on our website; following submission, you will be prompted to pay a $50 application fee. Once you have applied, a member of our admissions team will reach out to discuss next steps, including a private tour.

Toddlers recommended for reenrollment in our Nursery School are not required to go through a more lengthy admissions process and will instead follow a simplified reenrollment process.

Staffing

Each classroom is capped at 10 students, led by a Head Teacher and supported by 1-2 Associate Teachers or Classroom Teaching Assistants. At Corlears School, all Head Teachers hold Master's degrees in Education, in addition to role-specific certifications. Head Teachers are supported by Associate Teachers and Classroom Teaching Assistants who may hold a variety of early childhood-related degrees in addition to years of experience working with very young children.

Trust-Based Pedagogy

The "Yes" Classroom

Responsive Daily Schedule

School-to-Home Partnership

Trust Based Pedagogy

Teachers listen closely to children’s thinking and shape classroom experiences that invite curiosity, collaboration, imagination, and deeper learning. This learning happens in a community where children can see themselves reflected in the materials, curriculum, conversations, and classroom life — and where our deep commitment to cultural competency, care, and respect supports true belonging for every child and family.

Through a relationship- centered approach children will begin to build trusting relationships with teachers, build confidence in movement, explore the classroom environment with curiosity and confidence, strengthen communication and language, develop familiarity with peers and begin to engage in social play experiences.

Caregivers will partner with teachers to support their child’s growth along this learning journey.

Jessica reading to toddlers

The "Yes" Classroom

Children are encouraged to explore, experiment, make choices, and take ownership of their learning. Teachers intentionally curate spaces that are beautiful, purposeful, age-appropriate, and accessible. Materials are placed on low shelves and arranged so children can independently engage with them, revisit ideas, and extend their thinking over time.

In the toddler classroom, all activities are designed to support growth in key developmental areas, including:

Physical development: Climbing play structures in the yard, running outdoors, jumping, hopping, riding a bike, throwing a ball, dancing, playing in the gym.
Language, literacy, and linguistics: Singing songs, storytelling, rhyming, being read to, writing, drawing.
Mathematical and scientific thinking: Playing with manipulatives like puzzles and building blocks, counting objects, measuring, and comparing sizes, shapes, heights, and lengths.
Social and emotional learning: Responding to and interacting with peers, teachers, and caregivers while reenacting lived experiences and engaging in imaginative, dramatic play areas.
Sensory integration: Playing with textured objects like sand, water, paint, clay, fabric, and soft climbing structures.

These learning experiences take place in expansive, light-filled classroom spaces that are intentionally designed to foster engagement and intimacy between children and their teachers.

Our materials are open-ended, flexible, and full of possibility. They do not have a fixed purpose or a single set of instructions. Natural, recyclable, and everyday materials — such as cardboard, fabric, shells, blocks, tubes, containers, bottle caps, and other loose parts — invite children to imagine, construct, test ideas, collaborate, and represent their thinking in many different ways.

Learn More and Go Inside the Toddler Classroom

Student using a tool to manipulate play dough with his hands

The below sample schedule will give you an idea of what your child can expect in the toddler classroom. The individualized, reflective-responsive approach is designed to prioritize our students' emerging needs and interests, so the exact day-to-day might change over time.

Visit our blog to learn more about how the rigor of school programs differ from traditional daycare settings.

8:30 a.m.: Arrival

Arrival time is an immediate opportunity for our youngest students to feel a sense of belonging and inclusion as they enter the classroom with their grown-up. For example, even beloved stuffed animals — which we refer to as "transitional objects" — are affirmed and acknowledged by their teachers, which helps the children feel known and seen.

8:45 a.m.: Work Time

Work Time involves sensory exploration and socio-dramatic play opportunities, including blocks, puzzles, paint, play dough, puppets, book-sharing, the much-beloved sand table, and much more. You can visit our blog to learn more about how these learning experiences support key areas of child development.

9:30 a.m.: Cleanup / Transition

By helping to clean up their own stations, children get to experience a sense of independence and accomplishment. At the same time, they are contributing to the shared goal of getting to the next activity, which supports the classroom's overall sense of community. Throughout the day, special attention is paid to transitions from one activity to the next because of their essential role in supporting the children's emotional regulation, executive functioning, and language skills.

9:35 a.m.: Morning Meeting

Morning Meeting is a mainstay of the Corlears School curriculum. This important ritual, which is differentiated by age level, allows children to come together as a community, say hello to one another, and find out what they can expect from the day ahead. This moment of connection fosters a sense of belonging, encourages social and emotional development, and sets a positive tone for the day.

9:45 a.m.: Yard Time

Our natural backyard playground has been intentionally designed to promote learning through play. In the yard, children practice their gross motor skills by climbing, jumping, riding on tricycles, and more. Sensory experiences include the "mud kitchen", digging through sand bins, and in the summer months children love playing in our splash pad. Encounters with nature are also meaningful to young children as they experience the leaves, trees, the changing seasons, and the sensation of weather and climate.

10:00 a.m.: Cleanup / Diapering / Transition

Typically, this period is used to check on and change diapers, although teachers are reactive throughout the day to these needs as they emerge. Although it might sound odd, diapering is actually a unique opportunity to form trusting bonds with very young children. During this time, teachers will neutrally describe what is happening — by saying things like, "I'm going to pick you up and lay you down," and, "We're going to get you ready to keep playing," children begin to form expectations and trust in their teachers. We use words like "new" instead of "clean," and we never refer to diapers as "dirty" (although they might very well be!). Teachers are intentional in avoiding any phrasing or behaviors that might inadvertently cause the child to feel shame about their body during this intimate process, which ultimately harms trust formation and their ability to thrive in the classroom setting.

10:10 a.m.: Snack

At Corlears, even snack time is an opportunity to facilitate growth and socialization. When children go to their designated cubby to retrieve their own snack, there's a sense of ownership: "I get to choose what to eat first, and how much to eat." Snack also encourages social reciprocity, because children love sharing about their favorite snacks and learning about what their friends are eating, too — even if they can't quite form full sentences yet! Teachers encourage these interactions by noticing and affirming the children's snacks and positive social interactions.

10:25 a.m.: Work Time

This second Work Time period is another opportunity for children to explore their interests and develop skills across key domains.

11:20 a.m.: Closing Circle

Another Corlears School tradition, Closing Circle is an opportunity to gather, connect, and reflect on an exciting day. Teachers will make the children feel known and seen by reminding them what they accomplished that day, from big to small. At this age, all experiences are meaningful and part of a child's emerging sense of self. Like the morning routines, Closing Circle creates consistency and predictability, cueing an end to the day for children in our half-day school program, and a transition to extended-day for children enrolled in care until 3 or 5 p.m.

11:30 a.m.: Transition / Extended Day

While the half-day program follows a school curriculum, the extended day follows a more responsive rest and care approach. With soft music and the lights turned low, teachers create a calm, relaxing atmosphere that allows children to regulate and fall asleep in their mat or crib. Throughout extended day, play-based learning experiences remain available, and teachers are continually attentive to any eating, diapering, or emotional needs.

School-to-Home Partnership

We recognize that parents and caregivers are an integral part of a child's first school experience. Our teachers work to build strong connections between school and home through open communication, collaboration, and a deep understanding of every family’s unique needs.

Families are invited to share their own reflections on their child’s milestones, ensuring alignment between classroom observations and home experiences. This collaborative approach supports a shared understanding of each child’s individual growth, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive measurement and evaluation.

Together, we cultivate a partnership that nurtures your child’s growth and confidence with the goal of laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Ariel smiling with one of her Roots students

Building exterior spring 2024 - background

Connect with Admissions

Interested in enrolling your child at Corlears School? Submit an inquiry and a member of the admissions team will follow up as soon as possible. For any questions, email us at admissions@corlearsschool.org. We look forward to getting to know your family!

Submit an Inquiry