The Nest on York

An early childhood space for inspired learning. Visit our website to be added on our waitlist for tours/enrollments - www.littlenestlearningspace.com -

Program Type
Family Child Care
License Number
198020696

Basics

Background Check
Yes
Snacks
2 per day
Potty Training
Not Required
Schedules
2, 3 and 5 days per week
Ratio
1:4 teachers to children
Pay Schedules
Monthly and Weekly
Subsidized Care
Not Accepted
Philosophy
Child-centered Approach

Our Teachers

Achievements

Experience with infants and toddlers
Experience with preschool age
Experience with school age
18+ credits
Psychology
Certified Montessori Teacher since 2007
Completed RIE Foundation: Theory & Observation Course
Parent

Verified parent feedback and reviews

4.9 (145)
4.9 Overall
4.9 Outdoor Time
4.9 Atmosphere
4.8 Child Communication
4.9 Physical Space
4.8 Program Communication
4.9 Learning Environment
5.0 Provider Interaction

Reviews

5.0 Aug 21, 2024
5.0 Feb 21, 2024
5.0 Aug 26, 2022
Theresa, Elsa, Abby, and Joey are the best. Love them.
5.0 Jun 06, 2022
I love this school!
5.0 Feb 28, 2022
We love The Nest so much and look forward to all of our children growing up there.
5.0 Feb 22, 2022
We couldn’t be happier!
5.0 Feb 21, 2022
It's a wonderful preschool and we are deeply happy! I keep recommending it to other families because they are doing an amazing job with our children!
5.0 Dec 06, 2021
I am very happy about my daughter's experience at The Nest. She loves it there! And the teachers and staff are wonderful.
5.0 Aug 25, 2021
An amazing school! My child feels so safe, loved and cared for.
5.0 Feb 22, 2021
Very happy about our experience and amazed by the way in which the preschool is operating in these challenging times. It's a great support for us!
5.0 Jul 26, 2020
We are moving on to kinder and will do miss our Little Nest family. I feel our son is so prepared socially,emotionally and academically.
5.0 Jul 17, 2020
They are the best, we miss everyone so much!
5.0 Jun 09, 2020
Great teacher and operator, very lucky to have our kids there!
5.0 Mar 10, 2020
Theresa and Joey are the best, really fortunate to have our kids at their Little Nest Learning Space
5.0 Mar 10, 2020
I couldn’t be happier with little nest.

Testimonials

Read our 5 out of 5 star rating reviews on Yelp »

https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-nest-learning-space-los-angeles

Theresa’s school is beautifully and thoughtfully built to inspire kids.  She and her husband have taken time and care to craft every detail to support a holistic, positive educational journey.  I am so happy the have The Little Nest in my community! – Jen S.

Theresa is one of the best preschool teachers we have ever met… We saw our daughter growth academically, and most importantly, socially and emotionally. Now at Kindergarten, she stands out as being caring, self-confident and a little leader. My husband and I highly recommend Theresa. – Adriana T.

Theresa is an extraordinary teacher and person. She is gentle, kind, trustworthy, committed, intelligent, fun, talented, creative and open-minded. She understands children and has a deep passion for teaching. Little Nest Learning Space is a great opportunity for anyone who has pre-school age children. – Anna H.

Philosophy

The Little Nest/The Nest is a child-centered learning space dedicated in fostering the physical, emotional, social , cognitive and creative growth of young hearts and minds. We follow a holistic approach to education based upon the teachings and scientific research of Dr. Maria Montessori, a pioneer and respected visionary in the field of Pedagogy. We are also influenced and inspired by the RIE principles based on the philosophy of Magda Gerber. We encourage the children’s drive to be fully engaged in their own learning journey.

We take time and pride for the thoughtful preparation of the environment because we believe that it is an essential element in laying the foundation for a solid, well-rounded learning experience, especially during the formative years. We strive to set an unhurried, calm and engaging atmosphere at our homeschool that gives the students time and space to learn at their own pace and in the best way suited for their own learning style.

At the Little Nest/The Nest, learning is viewed as an organic experience and together, students and teachers enjoy the natural flow of its process. We build an individualized curriculum that honors each child’s developmental needs, skill level and personal interests through keen observation, loving attention and record keeping.

Our school values strong home-school-world connections, seeking to make a difference in this world by taking an active role in the improvement of our surroundings. We are each a small part of a bigger whole and our contributions matter. The parents and staff of The Little Nest/The Nest see each other as partners in our goal to develop a community of positive, intelligent and dynamic lifelong learners. Together, we become stable support systems for our children and like Montessori, “serve the future by protecting the present.”

Location

The Little Nest and The Nest are located in Highland Park, California, a thriving community rich in art, small local businesses and cultural history. Convenient freeway access to the 2, 134, 210 and 110 are within 3 miles or less.

The Little Nest is a fulfillment of a long time dream to build a space that invites children to freely learn and play. Our home-based school and preschool program features an indoor and an outdoor classroom, deck, playground, sandbox and a vegetable garden.

Indoor Classroom

We have created clean, organized areas for Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, Culture, the Sciences (Botany, Geography, etc), Music and Movement fit for a homeschool that is inspired by Montessori.

When the children are ready for real food preparation, we welcome them into our open-spaced style kitchen/living room/dining room. The work area is a low wooden table where the children can engage in simple practical life activities such as shelling peas, mashing steamed vegetables, slicing fruits progressing into more complex, hands-on activities such as making bread from scratch or cooking healthy chicken soup for cold days.

Outdoor Classroom

As the indoors, the outdoor classroom provides lots of opportunities to develop independence and self-direction. Outdoors hold water and sand activities, art, painting, crafts, woodwork and building projects. There are a number of prepared multi-process jobs that build the children’s sense of order and focus. We enjoy much of the beautiful California weather outside and children are free to move between the indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the work cycle.

Organic Garden

What better way to learn about vegetables and herbs than being able to plant, harvest, prepare and taste the produce? The garden offers experiential lessons in patience, community, health and nature and more.

Playground

Children enjoy the wooden play structure with a trapeze swing bar, monkey bars, climbing rope ladder, steering wheels, slide, and picnic/story time area. We also have a rock climbing and dome structure in the play area that helps develop limb strength, balance and agility. There is also a small spot with bongos, musical rainwheel and a deep Babaloo drum.

Deck

Our deck has custom-made shelves that hold individual containers for blocks, open- ended materials, puzzles, legos, and other manipulatives.

The Sandbox aka “the beach, space, middle Earth, etc”

The children’s mini world where their imaginations take them to exciting places as they engage in sensory play, community building, spatial skill development and fine motor skill practice.

About our program

  • Read About : A Wonderschool parent shares her experience with Little Nest Learning Space__ HERE

Rhythm of the Day

  • 8:30 AM
    Welcome children! Preparation to start the school day, *Work Cycle Begins ; Breakfast and meal preparation/service
  • 10:00 AM
    Morning Group Gathering, Mind/Body Exercises, Breathing and Mindfulness
  • 10:15 AM
    Outdoor exploration/ Play/ Gardening/Projects
  • 11:15 AM
    Environment Care-clean up/ Self Care- hand washing, Care for others- meal preparation assistance, help in serving lunch
  • 11:30 AM
    Lunch
  • 12:00 NN
    Big group discussion, gathering for story, songs and rhymes
  • 12:30 PM
    Nap / Rest /Afternoon work cycle* after rest
  • 2:30 PM
    Gentle Wake Up, Self Care (Potty, Hand washing), PM Snack offered as children wake up
  • 3:00 PM
    End of the Day Gathering/Reflection/Planning for tomorrow's ideas/interests
  • 3:30 PM
    Pick-up time, Good byes!
  • 3:30 PM- 3:45/4:00 PM
    SCHOOL CLOSED, End of the day meeting of Teachers/ Environment Preparation/Clean-up

Little Nest Schoo/The Nest Calendar (Federal Holidays and Breaks)

  • November 11, 2020
    Veteran's Day
  • November 25-27, 2020
    Thanksgiving
  • December 21, 2020-January 1, 2021
    Winter Break/School Maintenance
  • January 18, 2021
    Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • February 15, 2021
    President's Day
  • April 5-9, 2021
    Spring Break/School Maintenance/Staff Training
  • May 31, 2021
    Memorial Day
  • July 5-16, 2021
    Summer Recess
  • August 26-27, 2021
    New School Year Preparation/Staff training

Admissions

In order to join the Little Nest Learning Space community, apply for more information on our website: https://www.littlenestlearningspace.com/

Have questions about the program?
Message the Program Director directly to learn more.
Theresa Marino
Program Director