Child Development Laboratory School
Vision
The Child Development Laboratory Schools will lead City Colleges of Chicago in providing high-quality model programs, as well as demonstration and training sites that serve faculty, students, and children of the colleges and the greater Chicago community.
Mission
To provide high-quality care for preschool young children of diverse backgrounds (including, dual language learners and children with disabilities), incorporating best practices based on established standards and research in the field and to provide student support to all City Colleges of Chicago attendees in order to ensure student success.
Philosophy
The program’s approach to Child Development and Education is developmentally and linguistically appropriate and demonstrates the understanding that children have individual rates of development, interests, temperaments, languages, cultural backgrounds, and learning styles. Families are considered the child’s first teachers and are partners in their children’s education.
School Readiness Vision
The City Colleges of Chicago Laboratory Schools will prepare its children and families to be ready to succeed in Kindergarten. Our School Readiness goals include; developing children’s "skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for success in school and for future learning and life." Our objective is to achieve and promote the following educational goals through effective early childhood instruction: Social Competency, Emergent/Early Literacy, Emergent Math & Science, Health & Nutritional Awareness and Cultural Identity & Awareness.
We will prepare children for success in school using the Widely Held Expectations (WHE) from the Teaching Strategies GOLD observation and assessment tool that is aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Framework and the Illinois Early Learning Standards (IELS). Teachers will utilize data analysis from the GOLD to plan for each child individually in school and collaborate with families to strategize on how to best support their child’s development at home.
Operations
City Colleges of Chicago operates its Child Development Schools at five of its campuses. We offer services for children between 2 years old to 5 years old; the age depends on the location. We welcome and provide services to children with special needs. In addition, we receive subsidized funding from Head Start, Preschool for All, and Child Care for families that qualify and we have a sliding fee scale which makes it affordable for families. Please contact the college directly to find out the specific age, hours of operation, and funding source qualifications.
