At Roosevelt Island Day Nursery (RIDN), we see children as capable thinkers and active participants in their own learning. Our progressive, experiential approach is grounded in the belief that children learn through exploration, play, relationships, and direct engagement with the world around them.

​

Founded by Roosevelt Island parents in 1975 and incorporated as a not-for-profit educational corporation in 1979, RIDN has been part of the Roosevelt Island community for more than 50 years. Our school reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community and is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of current and former parents and community members. We are committed to building strong partnerships among children, families, and teachers and to providing progressive, high-quality early childhood education.

​

Our classrooms are thoughtfully prepared environments where children have the time, space, materials, and support to ask questions, pursue ideas, make choices, take risks, and develop their thinking. Play is at the heart of our curriculum, giving children the freedom to explore ideas, test theories, solve problems, express themselves, and construct their own understanding of the world.

​

Teachers are active participants in this process. Through careful observation, reflection, and collaboration, they respond to children’s interests and ideas and shape the curriculum accordingly. Hands-on experiences with materials such as blocks, clay and play dough, paint, drawing tools, natural materials, sand, water, and soil provide opportunities for children to explore concepts in meaningful ways. Literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies emerge naturally through this work.

​

We understand children’s development as deeply interconnected, supporting their growth socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and creatively. For our youngest learners, this begins with creating a warm, trusting environment where separation from family can unfold gradually and with care. Teachers build strong relationships with each child, partner closely with families, and respond thoughtfully to individual needs and cues. For our youngest children, the separation process is designed to help children develop a sense of security and belonging while building confidence in their ability to navigate new experiences and relationships. They begin school slowly and follow a thoughtfully arranged adjustment schedule as they learn to separate from their caregivers in an emotionally and psychologically gentle way.

​

Throughout their time at RIDN, children development a strong sense of themselves as curious, capable, and independent learners, with the conviction that their ideas, questions, and perspectives matter.

​​