Early Childhood Development Cente

The Early Childhood Development Center at Saint Mary's College (ECDC-SMC) is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and licensed by the Indiana Bureau of Child Care. The ECDC program at Saint Mary's is open to the public and offers preschool and child care for children ages 3 through 5 during the school year and 3 through 10 during the summer. Both full time and part time enrollment schedules are offered.

The ECDC Teaching Staff is composed of degreed early childhood teachers. Undergraduate students studying education, nursing, speech & communication, sociology and psychology at the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and IUSB participate in the ECDC-SMC classrooms as interns, practicum students and volunteers.

The ECDC program embraces the following early childhood principles:

* Children learn and grow as whole persons. Children learn best when their physical and emotional needs are met and they feel safe and secure. The child's self-image strongly affects his or her eagerness to learn and ability to do so. The ECDC program fosters the childʼs social, emotional, physical, creative and cognitive development.

* Children grow and develop through predictable stages, but at individual rates. All children can learn, and given appropriate settings, want to learn. Children are persistent, curious, creative and active learners. The ECDC program enhances each childʼs love of learning.

* Children learn through active engagement and through conversation and dialogue concerning their experiences. Young children are concrete learners who construct knowledge based on direct sensory experiences. For children, play is serious work. ECDC offers a wealth of inquiry based play opportunities with rich materials for children to play with and learn from.

* Children learn quickly when material is presented in meaningful ways at appropriate times. Young children learn best when actively involved in activities they have a role in initiating.

* Children exhibit different learning styles. Learning activities at ECDC are varied and offer multi-sensory experiences & frequent opportunities to choose from a variety of materials appropriate to their individual learning styles and interests.

Child guidance and discipline at ECDC fosters the development of respect, responsibility, resourcefulness, and responsiveness, which assist children in appropriate decision making skills and self regulation.