Child Development Lab

Philosophy:

• The Associated Students Child Development Lab's philosophy is based on a respect for the uniqueness of each individual child, his/her family and culture. Children come to the Center from varying backgrounds and bring with them their own family values, cultures and language. They also come with unique personalities and temperaments and are at varying levels of development and maturation. In partnership, staff and parents create a safe, nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, creative, linguistic and cognitive development of each child.
• Children's learning is a complex process that results from the interaction of a child's own thinking and their experiences in the external world. Children "learn by doing". Infants and Toddlers learn primarily through their senses such as tasting, physical exploration and grasping. Preschoolers learn by interacting with materials and things. As children mature, they acquire new skills that facilitate the learning process.
• Through our planned environment, curriculum, site personnel and parents, children are provided a wide assortment of hands-on experiences and have opportunities to learn through a variety of modalities (visual, auditory, sensory). The Center offers children the freedom to explore and the opportunity to choose from many daily activities. These activities are age-appropriate and may be either teacher-planned or child-initiated. A wide variety of materials are available for child-initiated use. The environment is divided into learning centers. Each center/area is supplied with a broad assortment of developmentally appropriate and anti-biased materials. These materials are changed periodically depending upon the interest, individual needs, and developing skills of the children. Curriculum experiences (planned, spontaneous and child-initiated) include, but are not limited to, dramatic play, language and literacy, pre-reading, pre-math, science, psychomotor, art, music movement, opportunities for large and small motor development, sensory, cooking, nutrition, literature, multicultural, cognitive and social-emotional.
• The Associated Students Child Development Lab is operated on a non-discriminatory basis, according equal treatment and access to services without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, or ancestry. Child Development services provided by the Associated Students Child Development Lab do not include religious instruction or worship.
• Because we wish the Center to be an extension of a child's family life, we offer a variety of ways for parents to become involved in children's classroom experience and in Center concerns. Conferences are scheduled at least twice a year, or more frequently at parent or teacher request. Parents are invited to share in their child's daily activities, to volunteer for field trips, special events or to just come in for a visit. The Center plans several social events, parent meetings and work parties each year. In addition, all parents are members of the Parent Advisory Council that meets monthly.