EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER | Our Classrooms

INFANT ROOM | TODDLER ROOM | PRESCHOOL | PRE-K PROGRAM

INFANT ROOM
The ECC provides a warm, nurturing and interactive home away from home. By having higher standards and a smaller class size, we are able to provide a low ratio and quality one-on-one time. The experiences in the first year of a child’s life are the building blocks for learning and social development. It has been proven that quality interaction between infants and their caregivers helps to strengthen developmental skills.
At The Early Childhood Center, it is our belief that infants need an important balance of activities and self-exploration. Because all children develop at their own pace, it is important to provide a variety of activities and opportunities to discover their environment.

• Our infant room is for children ages 6 weeks to approximately 15 months.
• 1 to 3 caregiver/infant ratio with only 6 infants in the room.
• Infants’ schedules are set by either the infants themselves or the parent’s requests.
• Monitored separate nap room for infants 6 months and older. This allows for a peaceful rest time.
• Each child has a primary caregiver who bonds with them daily.
• Environment includes: soft lighting, classical music, one-on-one interaction and constant verbal communication between infants and teachers to increase language and brain development.
• Parents provide diapers, wipes, and crib sheets.
• Parents provide food and formula. ECC provides meals after 1 year of age.
• To provide consistency for the children, this room is based on full-time enrollment only.

back to top

TODDLER ROOM
First steps, new words, exciting challenges ~ Being a Toddler is a wonderful thing! This is a time when so much positive growth in all areas occurs. At The Early Childhood Center, we embrace this age and allow our children to embark on many new adventures with our hands to hold and our hearts to enter.
Encouraging children to problem solve, make choices and socialize with peers, strengthens their self esteem and promotes independence.
Our Toddler Room uses weekly, age appropriate themes to promote language, communication skills, social and emotional growth, along with early cognitive skills and development.

• The ages in this room range from approximately 15 months to 2_ years old.
• 1 to 4 teacher/student ratio with only 8 children in the room.
• All children have a primary caregiver, which enables them to establish a bond with that caregiver.
• The ECC provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch, along with morning and afternoon snacks.
• The Toddler Room introduces a flexible, yet consistent daily routine.
• The children take naps on their own cots between 1 and 3 P.M. Parents are responsible for crib sheets.

back to top

Our Preschool Room
Being a Preschooler means many new and exciting changes for your child! Exploration of the environment gives way to a heightened understanding of the world around them. Developing vocabulary leads to being able to express themselves better. Though active learning and play are still important factors in their lives, in Preschool the academic focus becomes more evident and clearly defined.
Getting your child ready to attend kindergarten is important to our teachers. Through social interaction and an active learning environment, along with the learning of life skills, children will become more independent and self confident. Our Preschool curriculum is based on the nationally recognized High/Scope curriculum. The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation was founded by Dr. David Weikart. The High/Scope approach is based on key experiences, not traditional preschool themes. It is an active learning environment that provides the children opportunities to make plans and follow through with those plans. This curriculum also focuses on developing the children’s critical thinking skills. We like to call it our “Hidden Agenda” curriculum, the children are learning while doing activities they think are just for fun! There is at least one, and usually many, purposes behind everything the teachers say and do. If you would like more information on The High/Scope Foundation please visit the website at www.highscope.org.

• Ages in the Preschool Room range from 2_ thru 5 years.
• 1 to 5 teacher/student ratio in the morning and up to a 1 to 8 in the afternoon.
• The 24 children are placed in 5 small groups lead by their primary caregiver.
• The ECC provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch and morning and afternoon snacks.
• Children nap on their own cots from approximately 1-3 P.M. Children who do not nap are given quiet activities to do on their cots during this time.
• We offer a few select spots for part-time students: 2 days or 3 days a week. Please refer to our General Information for pricing details.
• The Preschool Room offers many extracurricular options such as Spanish, Computer Tots and intergenerational experiences.

back to top

Our Pre-Kindergarten Enrichment Program
In addition to our Preschool Curriculum, we offer a kindergarten preparation class for ages 4 – 5 years. This class concentrates on the specific skills needed to start kindergarten. It is held one hour a day, four days a week, September through May. Our Pre-K teacher has an Elementary Education degree with a ZA endorsement and provides the children with a wide variety of hands-on projects together with specially selected workbook pages. Along with their daily journal, the children study the foundations of math and reading with phonics. The combination of these approaches has proven to be both fun and educational!

back to top