Lab Preschool Overview
Our mission at Shasta College Early Childhood Education Laboratory School is to provide an exemplary, developmentally appropriate early childhood program for children, families, college students, staff, and faculty. The teaching staff and faculty at Shasta College work in conjunction to create a learning environment that models best practices for high quality early education experiences for young children and provide opportunities for observation and training of future early childhood practitioners.
Our philosophy is based on constructivist theories in which children construct their own knowledge through active learning. In this play based environment children are encouraged to explore, discover, investigate and create in our indoor and outdoor classrooms. To foster the growth and development of the whole child our ECE staff carefully prepares the environment daily for intentional teaching. The curriculum and materials are relevant, meaningful, current and purposeful to encourage children’s’ social, emotional, physical and cognitive (intellectual) skills. We offer low child-to-adult ratios for optimal learning.
Our schedule is arranged for a balance of active and quiet play, teacher initiated and child initiated activities. We set up our environment for play and learning by allowing children the freedom of movement and choice in our daily program by providing large blocks of time for discovery. Our interest areas includes; dramatic play, blocks & construction, cooking, language & literacy, art, science, math, music & movement, sand & water and large gross motor in both the indoor and outdoor classrooms. Our flexible schedule allows many opportunities for college students to observe and participate in the lab school classroom.
Our qualified staff has an extensive background and formal education in the field of early childhood education. The staff at Shasta College is dedicated to modeling developmentally appropriate practices in our college lab school classrooms. Staff include Mentor Teachers: Karen Sinderson, and Wendy Hord; two part time teachers; Director Beverly Charsha and ECE Faculty Jeanne Veich and Kate Ashbey. In addition to our regular full-time staff each semester we hire student staff. The core ECE lab school staff meets weekly to share reflective practices on our programs curriculum and environment to continue to meet the needs of our children, families, staff, students and faculty.
Nationally Accredited In February 2004 the Shasta College ECE Center first earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s leading organization of early childhood standards. NAEYC Accreditation is widely recognized as a mark of the highest quality for early education. Every 5 years Shasta College ECE goes through the re-Accreditation process and we have successfully passed with high scores each time. Shasta College is committed to maintaining the highest standards in early care and education.
Interested parties can contact the NAEYC
National Association for the Education of Young Children
1313 L St. NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20005
(800) 424-2460