The Dean College Children's Center is an award-winning fully accredited on-campus preschool for area youngsters ages 2.9 to 6 years. The program is designed to encourage maximum development of a child's social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth.
The children benefit from a low student-teacher ratio, as Dean College Early Childhood Education students work with college faculty and Children's Center Staff in the center. There is no better way to explain the excellence of the program than to invite you in for a visit.
Further information and applications may be obtained in the Children's Center office or by calling us at 508-541-1598. We can be reached by email at fnickolas@dean.edu. Please feel free to contact us and schedule a visit to see the program.
The mission of Dean College Children's Center is threefold:
- To provide children ages 2.9 to 6 years an initial school experience that reflects current research in child development and early childhood education.
- To provide a practicum site for Dean students preparing for careers in child care, education, and other fields.
- To provide demonstration teaching, resources, and support for families and area child care providers.
Dean College Children's Center is a child development laboratory for children in the community. Our mandate extends beyond that of a traditional nursery school. In addition to providing an exemplary program for young children, the Children's Center is a teacher training facility. It serves as a demonstration center for area schools, early education programs, child care centers, and college/university-based programs.
It assists parents who want to learn more about their child's development. We believe that the best teaching is based on a thorough understanding of the principles guiding human growth and development. Our role is to prepare a rich and stimulating environment, to encourage exploration and discovery, and to assist children in making the best use of their own abilities. We strive for a "playful" atmosphere, where children and adults are comfortable, relaxed, and purposeful. Interaction and peer problem solving is encouraged and practiced consistently.
We work to involve parents in our teaching through newsletters, conversations, parent seminars, and classroom participation.
The Dean College Children's Center is on-campus preschool for area children ages 2.9 to 6 years. The equipment and curriculum materials in the Center have been designed to encourage maximum development of a child's social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth. Students work with college faculty and the Children's Center staff to plan lessons and teach in addition to meeting with parents about their children's educational development. Peer conflict resolution is encouraged and practiced throughout the day at the Children's Center.
Many parents are familiar with the traditional unit approach to teaching, where the day is organized around a theme such as transportation, community helpers, etc. We have adopted a progressive model, the High/Scope Curriculum, which places its emphasis instead on Key Developmental Indicators essential for success in preschool, kindergarten and beyond: initiative, social relations, creative representation, music and movement, language and literacy, and logic and mathematics. Interactions and peer problem solving are an integral part of the program.
A child's first school experience is pivotal - it sets the tone for future learning and builds a foundation that lasts a lifetime. We want to ensure that every child's Dean College Children's Center experience is meaningful, productive, and in keeping with current research in child development.
Each day is organized in a plan-do-review sequence:
1. Planning time
2. Work time/free play
3. Recall and review
Children are taught to make choices and accept the consequences thereof, a developmentally appropriate task for a 3-4 year old who is struggling for autonomy and independence. The classrooms are organized in a variety of activity areas: art and invention, dramatic play, blocks, reading/writing, manipulative games, discovery, gross motor play, music/dance, and computers. Teachers function as facilitators. They speak in open-ended questions:
"What else could we do with this?"
"Two children want the same bike. What can we do?"
The program develops and evolves from real events in the classroom or the children's lives: an unexpected snowstorm, a new pet, a visiting baby. We do not celebrate the seasonal holidays at school since they are overstimulating to young children in a group setting. Through peer problem solving techniques, children gain valuable skills in understanding others needs as well as their own needs.
