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Roots toddler classroom - playing with paint - wider crop

CORLEARS ROOTS
AGES 16–24 MONTHS

Rooted in age-appropriate milestones, the Roots toddler program at Corlears School celebrates how toddlers learn and thrive: through the art of play and wonderment.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Designed by experts in early childhood

The Corlears Roots toddler program focuses on the growth of toddlers who are building confidence within new environments. By securing trust in themselves and their grown-ups, children develop the courage to take play-based leaps beyond their comfort zone. 
Roots toddler classroom - playing with Ariel-1
PROGRAM OVERVIEW

A school made just for young children

Our deliberate and constructed curriculum is developmentally driven and designed to foster independence, responsibility, and self-advocacy. Parents and caregivers are supported by our child development-focused educators, compassionately guiding toddlers as they form healthy new attachments.
Roots toddler classroom - fun with fuzzballs-1
PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Paving the way toward gentle separation

By relying on grown-ups beyond their own family members to meet their needs, toddlers form trusting relationships with their teachers. In tandem, toddlers will build security to play with others and develop a sense of belonging to a community. This gentle approach paves the way for healthy separation from the child’s primary caregiver and influences their capacity to build friendships with peers.
Roots toddler classroom - fun with tools and textures
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SUBSCRIBE

Join the Corlears Community

Learn more about the Roots program at Corlears by entering your information — or apply now! Spots are limited.

Toddlers in our Roots program learn skills related to language, math, science, art, and daily living, while also enhancing fine, gross motor, and sensory development.

Every child will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning activities, including:

  • Language, literacy, and linguistics: Singing songs, storytelling, rhyming, being read to, writing, and drawing.
  • Mathematical thinking: Playing with manipulatives like puzzles and building blocks, in addition to counting, comparing, and measuring objects.
  • Social-dramatic play: Interacting with peers, teachers, and caregivers as they reenact lived experiences in dramatic play areas and scenarios.
  • Sensory experiences: Playing with textured materials like sand, water, paint, clay, fabric, and soft climbing structures.

How to Apply

To be considered for our Roots program, your first step is filling out the application. You'll be prompted to pay a $35 fee upon submission, after which it'll be time to book your call with an admissions team member and learn about next steps.

Not quite ready to apply? Subscribe via the above form and we'll send all the information you need right to your inbox!

Fill Out the Application
OUR APPROACH

About Corlears School

Corlears School is a nonprofit, independent, progressive elementary school located in Chelsea, New York. In our five decades of experience, we’ve come to understand that these early years are the most crucial formative years for every child. We specialize in guiding this age group because we believe the start of your child’s academic life should be nothing short of exceptional!
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DIVERSITY

We celebrate each child’s talents, learning styles, and identities in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

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CURIOSITY

Project-based learning experiences encourage young minds to keep asking questions.

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COMMUNITY
Our close-knit community is driven to make the world a better place — starting in our own backyard.
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GROWTH
We’re cultivating considerate, ever-evolving thinkers, ready to make a difference in their world.
WHO WE ARE

Core Values to Believe In

The core values at Corlears School are the guiding principles that shape how we communicate and collaborate as a community. By naming what we value, we are committing to what we believe is at the core of our school’s mission.

We’re building a school and a community where children learn to see things from multiple perspectives and think about diverse life experiences. With its values at the core, Corlears students cultivate curiosity about people, compassion for humanity, and grow to take responsibility and courageous actions to create communities of belonging.

Corlears Core Values Printable

With the guidance of expert faculty working in partnership with our Assistant Head of School and Director of Equity and Inclusion, Corlears students develop positive identities, celebrate differences, advocate for justice, and take action.

Conversations about identity, race, and social justice are integrated into daily school life here; in our classrooms, in our play areas, at every community event, we aim to create a community of belonging.

TESTIMONIALS

Reviews from Corlears Families

Corlears ParentJune 2022 Niche Review
"The small class size was excellent for our kindergartener. He is writing and reading (some) and always wants to go to school. A shy child, his self-confidence has grown. He has made great friends. The faculty and staff treasure their students and enjoy teaching. Bravo, Corlears!"
Alumni ParentApril 2021 Niche Review
"My wife and I could not have been happier with the education our two daughters got at Corlears. They emerged as thinkers who love learning and even school itself (though they would never admit it). Corlears met each where they were at and maximized potential. [Our daughters] emerged confident and collaborative and went seamlessly into ongoing NYC private schools. They are now both admitted to their respective first choice colleges (UCLA and Northwestern). We would recommend Corlears unreservedly — it offers the highest quality community and education!"
Corlears ParentFebruary 2021 Niche Review
"Corlears has been a great school for our son and our family. Our son has learned to be a flexible thinker which has helped him excel in all subjects, and especially math. The school also instills its students with a strong sense of self, as well as an understanding of their community-members and the world at large. The social justice curriculum is particularly impressive. And, we love the other families."
Regina S.Corlears Parent
"Corlears is more than a school; it’s a community of family and friends that considers equity and inclusion as core pieces to learning and the exchange of ideas and information. It has provided both my children with academic readiness, an understanding of collective responsibility, and the confidence to share and welcome solutions for 'why.'"
VISIT US

Located in the Heart of Chelsea

You can find us just steps away from the A/C/E, 1/2/3, L, and PATH trains.