Childcare and Preschool Services

Our program is centered upon the concept that each child is an individual and should be allowed to grow and develop at his/her own pace. Children learn best by participating in first-hand sensory experiences. Therefore, our curriculum encourages children to think, analyze problems, and arrive at logical conclusions. Our curriculum is centered around the strengths, interests, abilities, and needs of the children. We believe children learn best through play and discovery.

Our program is an inclusive model, serving children with a variety of needs. Therefore, we are committed to serving children with special and typical needs. The ELC adheres to ADA policies.

The ELC opened in March 1983 through the great efforts of Dr. Earnestine Kirkland and Susan Logston. The primary function of the ELC was to provide a training site for preschool teachers and quality childcare for the community. It was the aim of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) department to integrate theoretical concepts with practical applications for those enrolled in the ECE Program. Gateway Community College students in Early Childhood Education, Human Services, Psychology, Nursing and other programs would also have the opportunity to use the Center as a learning resource in child development.

Senior citizens aged 55 and over may apply to volunteer in the Early Learning Center at Gateway Community College through the Agency on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program (FGP). The Foster Grandparent Program recruits and enrolls volunteers who must meet federal guidelines for participation in FGP. All volunteers are subject to background checks, fingerprints and sex offender checks as part of the application process.

The Foster Grandparent Program includes:

• 20 hours of orientation prior to placement
• Review of the volunteer handbook along with the list of “do’s and don’ts”
• Placement referrals
• Monthly in-service training
• Periodic review for safety and health conditions Once volunteers are assigned to the Early Learning Center (ELC) at CT State Gateway, the volunteer will participate in a pre-placement interview with ELC staff prior to final placement. Once placed, the volunteer Foster Grandparent will receive a plan and description of their duties and responsibilities and other support information. To apply to the Foster Grandparent Program, contact the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut at 203-785-8533 or use their contact form.

“A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.” ~ Knights of Pythagoras

Dr. David Asbery, our Male Involvement Coordinator, engages males in the lives of our preschoolers through a variety of activities and conversations. Dr. Asbery includes uncles, grandfathers, and other significant males in the lives of our ELC children in his program. He offers a 24/7 Dad® workshop, which helps males develop a set of behaviors that will enable them to become the best role model possible. Those who participate in this workshop learn the importance of:

• Self-Awareness
• Caring for Self
• Fathering Skills
• Parenting Skills
• Relationship Skills

Brittany Zavaski, Director, has been working at the Child Development Center since September 2002. She is a graduate of Manchester Community College (now CT State Manchester), has a Baccalaureate degree with a specialization in Child Study and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Zavaski is also an adjunct instructor for the Student Teaching Practicum course, teaching and training associate degree students at the end of their Early Childhood Education program. She has a strong commitment to provide quality early educational experiences for young children and CT State Manchester students.

Lori Rich, Head Teacher, has worked in the Early Childhood field for over 30 years. She graduated from the University of St. Joseph with a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Study and a minor in Spanish. Lori has worked as a teacher assistant, instructional assistant, early childhood educator, and teacher throughout her career in education. Most recently, Lori worked as an Early Childhood Educator at a nationally accredited preschool in Hartford for the last 10 years.

Mary Webb-Mixter has worked in the Early Childhood Education field for over twenty-five years before joining the staff at Manchester Community College (now CT State Manchester) in 2006. For the past twenty-three years she has been a Head Teacher at a nationally accredited program in Hartford. She was most recently a Supervisor overseeing the operation of four nationally accredited early learning centers. She received her bachelor of science degree in Human Development and Family Relations with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from the University of Connecticut.

Jennifer Wowak has worked in the Early Childhood Field for over twenty years before joining the staff at Manchester Community College (now CT State Manchester) in 2009. She was most recently a Head Teacher/Assistant Program Manager at a nationally accredited program in Hartford. She also trained as an American Red Cross instructor and taught Infant/Child CPR and Connecticut Child Care classes for the past ten years. She received her BA in Child Psychology from Trinity College in Washington, DC.

Philosophy

Young children learn best through active exploration of their environment and interactions with other children and adults. Learning occurs as children direct their own activities and build upon the knowledge they have already attained. Self-confidence and self-esteem grow as children experience success completing tasks they have defined for themselves. Children have a natural desire to learn and to make sense of the world around them.

Teachers facilitate this process by preparing a stimulating and challenging environment. The teachers ask open-ended questions, make suggestions, and provide additional resources to add to the complexity of play.

Our goal is to meet the needs of the whole child. Throughout the day, children have many opportunities to develop physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually. Our curriculum is both age and individually-appropriate.

Goals

Our curriculum is designed to encourage children to become creative thinkers and active learners. Children learn best when they feel safe and valued. We provide a stimulating and interesting environment that challenges children. The program is a combination of child-initiated and teacher-directed activities. Children participate in both large and small groups, and are given ample time for individual exploration. A typical day provides for alternating periods of active and quiet play, both indoors and outside. We encourage children to become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners.

The Child Development Center uses the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards as a guide for planning curriculum. The State benchmarks require careful and consistent observations of each child. The staff uses these observations to develop curriculum based upon children’s individual interests and abilities. The CDC staff employs a multitude of techniques and approaches to accomplish the curriculum goals.

Our goal is to meet the needs of the whole child. Our curriculum addresses all areas of development:

• Social: to help children feel comfortable in school, trust their new environment, interact with other children, play cooperatively, feel they are part of a group, and to develop conflict resolution skills.
• Emotional: to help children identify and manage their feelings, experience pride and self-confidence, develop independence and self-control, and demonstrate empathy and caring for others.
• Cognitive: to help children develop the ability to think, reason and question; to formulate and understand concepts; to use a variety of tools and objects to observe and experiment; and to develop both expressive and receptive language skills.
• Physical: to help children increase their large and small muscle skills and to develop control, balance, strength and coordination.
• Creative: to develop an appreciation of the arts, (including fine arts, dance and music), and to use a variety of art forms for creative expression.

Sensory Room
The Sensory Room has 8 children per day who are 18 months-3 years of age.

Discovery Room
The Discovery Room is a preschool classroom serving 20 children aged 3-5 daily.  

Exploration Room
The Exploration Room is a preschool classroom serving 20 children aged 3-5 daily.

Marianne Generali Grand Atelier
The Marianne Generali Grand Atelier is a community art studio dedicated solely to the arts and the projects children engage in throughout the year. 

Atelier of Light, Shadow and Movement
The Atelier of Light, Shadow and Movement offers children a multi-sensory experience that enhances their learning through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) concepts and activities.

The Early Childhood Education Laboratory School has had a Waterbury School Readiness component since 1998. School Readiness is a state-funded initiative from the Connecticut Department of Education and the Department of Social Services that was established by the legislature in 1997 to provide spaces in accredited programs for eligible children.

Eligible children must be three or four years old and live in Waterbury. Children are eligible for either our full-day/full-year program or our part-day/part-year program. Parents' fees are based on the DSS school readiness sliding fee scale. Contact us for more information.

We accept applications for children of the College staff, faculty, students and the outside community. Enrollments are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, except for CT State Naugatuck Valley students who have priority enrollment, followed by families who have attended previously and/or have College affiliation, all while ensuring that our classrooms are diverse.

Age Requirements

Toddler Program
Children entering the toddler classroom must be 18 months of age by September 1

Preschool Program
Children entering a preschool classroom must be 3 years of age by September 1

School Readiness Program
3 - 5 yrs.

Don’t Wait...

We encourage you to apply to the Early Childhood Education Laboratory School at CT State Naugatuck Valley as soon as your doctor announces your due date or you begin the adoption process. Because space is limited, there is often a waiting list for admission. 

The waiting list varies depending on age, time of year and eligibility for the School Readiness Grant program. Secure your spot on the waiting list as soon as possible!

How To Apply

Applications may be obtained from our main office in Room K400, by mail request, by phone (203-596-8604) or by printing the application forms below.

*Please note: School Readiness programs give priority to Waterbury residents.

Return applications to:
The Early Childhood Education Laboratory School at CT State Naugatuck Valley
Room K400
Charles B. Kinney Hall
CT State Naugatuck Valley
750 Chase Parkway
Waterbury, CT 06708

Families as Partners

Parent and family involvement is integral to the Reggio Emilia Approach. The Early Childhood Education Laboratory School highly values parent and family involvement in your child(ren) school life. If you would like to share anything with your child’s classroom, i.e., a cultural or family tradition or recipe, please contact one of the head teachers of your child’s classroom to set up a time.

There are many avenues that families can participate in at the Lab School, including: 

• visiting the classroom to share talents and skills or to share family culture
• participating in field trips
• contributing to holidays, celebrations, or special events
• dropping in to visit or read to the children
• participating in ongoing projects

• To provide a teaching model for the Early Childhood Students of CT State Norwalk.
• To provide a challenging environment with developmentally appropriate materials and supportive teachers who understand and facilitate the learning process.
• To guide children’s construction of knowledge through play and active exploration of the physical and social environment.
• To maintain a quality childcare program that reflects the interest of the whole child including social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.
• To establish and carry out a child-centered curriculum based upon observing, understanding and applying each child’s individual skills and interests.
• To plan a broad range of related experiences individually and age appropriate, based upon what children are discussing and doing.
• To respect and acknowledge that each child is unique with an individual pattern, pace of growth, personality, learning style and family background, which is reflected both in the curriculum and adult interactions with the child.
• To encourage parent involvement and to provide children and parents with appropriate support as needed.

Due to the tireless efforts of the college administration and the first Early Childhood Coordinator, Professor Darlene Ragozzine, the Child Development Laboratory School (CDLS) at CT State Norwalk was first opened in the fall of 1988 on Wilson Avenue, the former home of Norwalk Community College.  In addition to the initial set-up funds appropriated by the 1987 Connecticut State Legislature, outside funding was provided by the Student Advisory Board and the Friends of Norwalk Community College.  The funding and opening of the Center was truly a collaborative effort uniting the college administration, students, faculty, staff and the business community.

The present CDLS opened in the fall of 1991, doubling the size of its operating site and incorporating an observation room for parents, CT State Norwalk staff and students to view and record children’s progress.  In 1994, Kathy Croaning became the coordinator of the ECE Program and continued to strengthen the program and its mission until her death in 1999.  The center was named in her honor in the spring of 2000.

The CDLS offers quality early care and education for children ages six months to five years of age.  The professional staff involves the director and experienced teachers who establish a classroom environment and curriculum to foster each individual child’s emotional, physical, intellectual and social development.  The physical arrangement, daily schedule and routines are designed to suit individual and group needs. The CDLS also offers an opportunity for Early Childhood Education students to observe and practice theories and methods taught through the academic program at CT State Norwalk.  The CDLS staff and the ECE Program staff are unified in the presentation and implementation of developmentally appropriate practices for young children.

Our curriculum is based on the researchers and theorists in the field of early childhood education. Piaget; learning opportunities are based on past learning/experiences and should be concrete and hands on. Vygotsky; teacher is the model/facilitator in the process of a child learning a new skill and learning happens through social interactions (PLAY). Erikson; learning opportunities should support the development of self-image. Developmentally Appropriate Practices it is at the core of our teaching. Our philosophy encompasses ideas and teaching methods derived from the published curriculums such as Project Approach (topics of study are child-directed), Creative Curriculum (room environment and authentic assessing) and Bank Street (social awareness). The curriculum is aligned with CT Early Learning Development Standards (E.L.D.S.) and the Connecticut Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (CT DOTS).

At the CDLS we pride ourselves on being “intentional teachers”. Intentional teachers observe the children to assess their educational needs and set appropriate individual and group goals for the children. Learning goals for your child include all aspects of growth and are grouped into four domains: Personal and Social, Physical, Cognitive and Creative Development. As teachers, we select several performance standards to work on each week. This process of planning and observing and continuously repeating the cycle ensures that not only are your child’s developmental needs being met, but they are continuously challenged to their fullest potential. The CT E.L.D.S. were developed to help families, communities, and schools work together to support children’s early learning and growth. The E.L.D.S. guide teachers on what children should know and be able to do. Emphasis is placed on teachers and children engaging in active exploration, oral language, higher-order thinking and integration of basic skills. These elements promote the development of language competence, learning through active engagement, encouraging children to use complex thinking and teaching children through rich conversational exchanges that take place during play.

• To provide a teaching model for the Early Childhood Students of CT State Norwalk.
• To provide a challenging environment with developmentally appropriate materials and supportive teachers who understand and facilitate the learning process.
• To guide children’s construction of knowledge through play and active exploration of the physical and social environment.
• To maintain a quality childcare program that reflects the interest of the whole child including social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.
• To establish and carry out a child-centered curriculum based upon observing, understanding and applying each child’s individual skills and interests.
• To plan a broad range of related experiences individually and age appropriate, based upon what children are discussing and doing.
• To respect and acknowledge that each child is unique with an individual pattern, pace of growth, personality, learning style and family background, which is reflected both in the curriculum and adult interactions with the child.
• To encourage parent involvement and to provide children and parents with appropriate support as needed.

Due to the tireless efforts of the college administration and the first Early Childhood Coordinator, Professor Darlene Ragozzine, the Child Development Laboratory School (CDLS) at CT State Norwalk was first opened in the fall of 1988 on Wilson Avenue, the former home of Norwalk Community College.  In addition to the initial set-up funds appropriated by the 1987 Connecticut State Legislature, outside funding was provided by the Student Advisory Board and the Friends of Norwalk Community College.  The funding and opening of the Center was truly a collaborative effort uniting the college administration, students, faculty, staff and the business community.

The present CDLS opened in the fall of 1991, doubling the size of its operating site and incorporating an observation room for parents, CT State Norwalk staff and students to view and record children’s progress.  In 1994, Kathy Croaning became the coordinator of the ECE Program and continued to strengthen the program and its mission until her death in 1999.  The center was named in her honor in the spring of 2000.

The CDLS offers quality early care and education for children ages six months to five years of age.  The professional staff involves the director and experienced teachers who establish a classroom environment and curriculum to foster each individual child’s emotional, physical, intellectual and social development.  The physical arrangement, daily schedule and routines are designed to suit individual and group needs. The CDLS also offers an opportunity for Early Childhood Education students to observe and practice theories and methods taught through the academic program at CT State Norwalk.  The CDLS staff and the ECE Program staff are unified in the presentation and implementation of developmentally appropriate practices for young children.

Our curriculum is based on the researchers and theorists in the field of early childhood education. Piaget; learning opportunities are based on past learning/experiences and should be concrete and hands on. Vygotsky; teacher is the model/facilitator in the process of a child learning a new skill and learning happens through social interactions (PLAY). Erikson; learning opportunities should support the development of self-image. Developmentally Appropriate Practices it is at the core of our teaching. Our philosophy encompasses ideas and teaching methods derived from the published curriculums such as Project Approach (topics of study are child-directed), Creative Curriculum (room environment and authentic assessing) and Bank Street (social awareness). The curriculum is aligned with CT Early Learning Development Standards (E.L.D.S.) and the Connecticut Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (CT DOTS).

At the CDLS we pride ourselves on being “intentional teachers”. Intentional teachers observe the children to assess their educational needs and set appropriate individual and group goals for the children. Learning goals for your child include all aspects of growth and are grouped into four domains: Personal and Social, Physical, Cognitive and Creative Development. As teachers, we select several performance standards to work on each week. This process of planning and observing and continuously repeating the cycle ensures that not only are your child’s developmental needs being met, but they are continuously challenged to their fullest potential. The CT E.L.D.S. were developed to help families, communities, and schools work together to support children’s early learning and growth. The E.L.D.S. guide teachers on what children should know and be able to do. Emphasis is placed on teachers and children engaging in active exploration, oral language, higher order thinking and integration of basic skills. These elements promote the development of language competence, learning through active engagement, encouraging children to use complex thinking and teaching children through rich conversational exchanges that take place during play.

What to know more?

Check out the following resources:

• Bredekamp, Sue & Copple, Carol (Eds.). 2009, third edition. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
• Bredekamp, Sue & Copple, Carol. 2006. Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice; An Introduction for Teacher of Children 3 to 6. Washington, DC: NAEYC
• Dodge, Diane Trisrter, Colker, Laura J & Heroman, Cate. 2002, fourth edition. Creative Curriculum for Preschool. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies
• Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years (Early Childhood Education Series) 3rd Edition by Judy Harris Helm (Author), Lilian G. Katz (Author)
• Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Early Learning and Development Standards.