• Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program

    Classes for children fifteen months to kindergarten entry are offered at our Gay Ave. campus.  We offer a variety of weekly options. Class size increases with each age group. Class options are listed in our Program Overview.

    Each of our classes is staffed with two early childhood educators. In some classrooms, these teachers also work with members of the early childhood special education team and university and/or high school practicum students.

    Our curriculum is based on frameworks developed by the Missouri Department of Education, the Common Core State Standards, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and current child development theory. Another notable influence on the program is the innovative public preschool system in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Reggio Approach emphasizes respect for each individual child and each child’s ability to influence his/her own learning experiences. Teachers intentionally create beautiful and inspiring classroom environments that are filled with materials rich in color, texture and variety for the children to see and use.

    Children’s work also contributes to the beauty of the space. Our program is unique in that, at all times, there is evolving collaboration among the children, teachers and families to create an engaging learning experience. Learning evolves in ways the children and teachers determine together. This flexibility supports small group and in-depth project work. Individual and group experiences evolve depending on the children’s interests and developing abilities. Teachers and children document class experiences and learning. These artifacts are incorporated into daily class journals and are made visible within the classroom, school environment and classroom webpage. This process supports children as they revisit and reflect on the experiences. It also makes the children’s learning visible to parents and visitors.

    Our Family Center teachers work closely with Clayton kindergarten teachers and other district colleagues to support ongoing curricular development and professional learning. These relationships help children’s transition from preschool to kindergarten.