The faculty and staff at ECDC believe that the purpose of early childhood education is to provide children the opportunity to explore their interests and abilities and acquire the skills they will need to become life-long self-directed learners. We believe that in an increasingly global environment, our children need to understand and practice tolerance and respect for others. We believe that tolerance and respect are learned in a community that celebrates both the things we share in common and the differences that make us each unique and interesting human beings. We believe that every child has special needs, so all children are accepted and welcomed at ECDC and fully included in all dimensions of our program. We work with families and specialists as appropriate to make special accommodations and adaptations as needed.

Our philosophy is based in our understanding that learning and language are socially constructed (Piaget, Vygotsky). The child acquires knowledge about the world through play, the manipulation of materials and equipment, and the development of respectful and meaningful relationships with other children and adults. We consider and respect the child as an active participant in the learning experience.

We believe in shared responsibility for the education of young children. Families are our partners. We value parental input. We often build classroom activities around ideas, traditions, language, and the expertise and interests represented among our families. We respect your child’s interests, talents, and questions. Your child is the center of our school.

We believe the role of the early childhood teacher and all the adults who interact with your child on a daily basis is to

• identify and support children’s interests
• observe their growth and development
• plan and facilitate activities appropriate to their interests and developmental levels
• monitor, assess, interpret, and document their learning
• respect and include families in the learning process