welcome...

Riverwood House is located in East Nashville [37216] on a small corner joining Riverwood Drive and Olga Avenue. The lengthy Drive runs parallel to Moss Rose and Brush Hill roads. These beautiful roads slightly wind parallel to the Cumberland River. The sound of fog horns are common and on a given day one might see kayakers floating peacefully North up the River. Fortunately, we are surrounded by many trees providing a diverse environment for birds, especially owls! In addition to trees, many surrounding businesses have taken root nearby - Shelby Bottoms Nature Center and Park, Pied Piper Eatery, Watanabe restaurant, SIP Cafe, and many more...

Beth Seiters opened her home to families with young children in the summer of 2009 for the first Summer Creative Arts Intensive. This particular program invited children between the ages of 2 and 7. For four weeks, children explored painting/drawing, collage, weaving, book-making, and baking.

The Riverwood House children's program evolved into a Montessori/Reggio Emilia program in the Fall 2009. The program is for families with young children between the ages 2 and 6 years old. Full Time and Day Out options are available including a Summer program.

 background influences and educational approach?

Educationally, Riverwood House's path is that of Dr. Maria Montessori's influences on early childhood development [physical, psychosocial, and cognitive]. Additionally, we tend to gravitate towards the Italian-based Reggio Emilia approach to creative development while building a sustainable community. Both "approaches" propel such focuses for the program - transformation with the seasons and its effects on the body and the environment; developing a sustainable and conflict resolution community for young children and families; and, most importantly, nurturing all types of growth and the child's need for exploration, orientation, and order.

Who directs the program?

Beth Seiters is a native of Tennessee. Due to her deep passion for creativity, Beth attended the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga [home-town] to fulfill further study of how to propel such an important aspect of human development. Majoring in ceramics and then painting and drawing, she extended her studies in art with anthropology and environmental sciences. Professional development deepened when traveling to London for a painting class in the summer of 2001. Needless to say, East Nashville comforted her artistic background professionally. The little part of town, luckily, embraced her eccentricities.

The fascination with the development of learning and human dynamics deepened with the birth and growing relationships with her three children. From caregiving to interaction with her own children, she wanted to know more about how to observe and guide these little creatures; and, to understand the development of early human development. Beth entered the Master's of Art in Teaching [TN teaching licensure preK-3] at Belmont in the Fall 2006. Receiving her AMS certification in Early childhood in the Summer 2008 and the completion of the Master's program in Summer 2009, Beth wanted to extend her knowledge through embracing her local surroundings and open her home to families with young children creating a natural environment as well as a home atmosphere for practicing acceptance, independence, and exploration. The journey will be a LONG one.

Why will the journey be a "LONG one"?

Well, we have only begun! We have a list of goals or rather a diagram of fresh ideas such as continuing the support from the family/parent/community in East Nashville; following Department of Human Services licensing requirements, farm outreach project, work towards the recognition of a non-profit organization, and,

a child's growth is never-ending and never-the-less...

So welcome to the Riverwood House community for young children
[families and the community]