Preschool is our specialty at EEC. Our oversized classrooms are designed to encourage exploration, independance, early literacy, and social competance.  All curriculum is "play-based" and is always developmentally appropriate. 

Developmentally appropriate practice provides children with opportunities to learn and practice newly acquired skills.  It offers challenges just beyond the level of their present mastery and it takes place in the context of a community classroom where children are safe and valued, where their physical needs are met, and where they feel psychologically secure.

Not only will we ensure that your child is ready for kindergarten, but we will also work with them to instill manners and social skills which will enable them to be successful in kindergarten and beyond. 

Some ways we instill manners and social skills are as follows:

• Family style meals -All meals are served family style. This means that the children sit at a table with the teacher and they pass their fruit, veggie, and milk around the table using language like 'Please pass the corn,' or 'Thank you for helping me pour my milk.'  The teacher uses this time for language development and holds meaningful conversations with the children at her table.  It also gives the children time to ask questions to one another building friendships which will be further developed in class.
• Minimal interferance- When a conflict arrives, the teacher will be nearby observing but allowing the children to work out their conflicts where possible. When necessary she will intervene to help the children practice positive words, empathy, politeness, and forgiveness. 
• Modeling good behaviors- The teachers in the class are always careful to model polite behavior to the the children.  We cannot teach respect to children if we are not behaving respectfully ourselves. 
• Quiet voices are used at all times.  This is true for the children as well as the teachers. If a child needs correction for any reason, he is the only one that will hear it. This allows the children to see that rules are the same for everyone in the class.  
• Positive Discipline - Discipline is always positive, never negative!  We catch children in good behavior before they have to use poor behavior to get attention.