Neighborhood Villages’s Toddler Curriculum is committed to the principles of developmentally appropriate practice, anti-bias education and social-emotional learning. One of the keys to bringing these important values together is thoughtful and intentional curation of children’s books for the toddler classroom.

Dedicated educators work towards a more equitable future by practicing anti-bias education daily. By intentionally incorporating social-emotional skills into the curriculum, they provide students with a thoughtful and personalized education that recognizes and celebrates their unique identities.

The Neighborhood Villages toddler curriculum project is rooted in strengths-based practice and is founded on the belief that caregivers are the true experts on children’s development and needs. As a result, family engagement is an integral piece of the work. As children’s first teachers and keepers of their unique histories, traditions, and cultures, families are engaged in a manner that aims to be thoughtful and culturally sustaining.

With the support of the Lego Foundation, Neighborhood Villages is trying to change what an early childhood curriculum looks like. We deeply believe in play for its own sake, child-directed learning, and prioritizing toddlers' social-emotional development.

"How do we create a curriculum that authentically serves the audience it is created for and where do we start?"

That was the question and puzzle that Neighborhood Villages sought to solve when creating an innovative, play-centered curriculum for toddlers.

Neighborhood Villages, in partnership with the Lego Foundation and the Boston Public Schools, has created an innovative, first-of-its-kind curriculum resource explicitly designed for the developmental needs of toddlers. Being Reggio-inspired, it is driven by documentation and children’s interests, centering play in every interaction and learning experience in which toddlers engage.