U of M - Flint Early Childhood Development Center

The staff of the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) is committed to providing a high quality program for young children and their families. The program is nationally accredited through NAEYC and is designed to promote the development of the total individual by helping each child to develop skills in the physical social emotional and cognitive areas. This is accomplished by providing a balanced program that includes both teacher-directed and child initiated activities quiet as well as active experiences and the recognition that learning occurs in both formal and informal settings especially through play.

Young children are integrally connected to their homes and families and it is understood that families are and should be the principle influence in their children’s lives. The ECDC seeks to be appropriately responsive to families. Parents teachers and staff work together toward the goal of nurturing children in an environment where all are respected for their individual differences and provided with the building blocks for a lifelong love of learning.

The Early Childhood Development Center’s philosophy is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach and is based on the knowledge that young children learn through active exploration of their environment. This occurs optimally when their physical needs are met and they feel emotionally secure. Instilling in children a sense of security and trust will be of utmost importance. Staff will create classroom learning environments appropriate to the developmental needs of the various age groups and will provide for the needs of individual children.

The ECDC is a living laboratory where adults as well as children come to learn. We believe that we learn from the children just as much as they are learning from us. Teachers are co-collaborators with children. Teachers are guiding mentoring and modeling but also observing reflecting and hypothesizing. Teachers are researchers studying the changes that individual children have as they grow as well as the changes in the group and between group members. Our teachers are curious interested and enthusiastic about how children learn and how children show us what they know. We understand that much of what children show us about their learning and understanding of the world is not through verbal communication.