SLPS Expands Its Early Childhood Services

St. Louis ¨C With the opening of the Meda P. Washington Early Learning Center, St. Louis Public Schools has expanded early childhood services in the district. The new center, located at 2030 South Vandeventer, offers an inclusive, child-centered learning environment based on the internationally-renowned Reggio Emilio approach. Care for children from birth to age five is provided.

Important features of the Reggio Emilio approach to early childhood education include:

The physical classroom is the child¡¯s ¡°third teacher.¡± A great deal of conversation, documentation and observation of children go on daily as the early childhood teacher, the special education teacher and teacher assistants use the environment to guide instruction.

Children define the topics of study and teachers help them acquire knowledge through arts projects, imaginative games and field trips. The center¡¯s art studio ¨C the atelier ¨C is an integral part of day-to-day learning.

Parental involvement is critical to the success of students. Parents who fulfill the SLPS volunteer requirements help at meal times, read to children, create a PTO, direct buses and go on field trips.

Currently, the center provides one autism classroom, a full-time nurse, and a speech/language pathologist. Breakfast and lunch are served daily.

Webster University is providing on-going professional development for the next two years. Webster students also act as classroom assistants.