What does it mean to be a laboratory school?
At the Lab School, we have a dual mission of not just being a model early childhood program but also providing a hands-on experience for ISU college students graduating in Early Childhood Education or Child, Adult, and Family Services. Just like chemistry major would have a chemistry lab, this is the lab experience for those students. Because the college students work directly with the children, background checks are completed. However, the practicum students are considered "learners" in the classroom. Therefore, they are NOT included in ratio and are ALWAYS supervised by paid teaching staff.
Who is eligible for enrollment at the Lab School?
Any child under the age of 5-years-old can have his or her name placed on the Lab School waiting list. The Lab School families are a diverse group from many different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, races, and religions. We welcome and encourage applications from all families.
How long is your waiting list?
Because we use a lottery system for selection and we strive for an age and gender balance in each classroom, it is impossible to give an estimate on how long a child will be on our waiting list.
Why don’t you give priority placement to ISU faculty, staff or students?
We want the children at the Lab School to be a reflection of the community. To make this possible, we accept all applications and use a lottery system for selection of children.
Can my child visit the program before I make the decision to enroll him or her?
Yes! We encourage you and your child to visit the program before his or her start date. Please make those arrangements with your child’s assigned teacher.
Why do you require children to attend the program on a regular basis from 9:00-4:00 when ISU classes are in session?
Because we are a lab for ISU students, our group size must reflect what students can and will be expected to work in someday. Additionally, part of the students’ course work may be to complete an on-going assessment of a specific child throughout the semester. If this child is not attending on a consistent basis, it is difficult for the student to complete their lab assignment. If you know your child will be taking a vacation during a time ISU is in session, please let your child’s teacher know at the beginning of the semester.
Do you accept child care financial assistance from the Department of Human Services?
We accept DHS child care subsidy when the family receives other assistance (such as CCAMPIS grant) that covers the remainder of the Lab School tuition.
Will college students be my child’s teacher/caregiver?
Each classroom is staffed by two state of Iowa early childhood licensed teachers. These teachers have the primary responsibility and supervision of all activities in the classroom. ISU students will be interacting with the children and leading some activities, but it will always be under the supervision of paid teaching staff.
What is Primary Caregiving?
Your child will be assigned one teacher who will be responsible for ensuring that his or her individual needs are being met. As much as possible, this teacher will be the main person completing your child’s on-going assessment, meeting with you at parent-teacher conferences, etc. For infants and toddlers, the primary caregiver will be the main person feeding, diapering, helping your child to rest, etc. The primary caregiving model allows young children to build a sense of trust with the people who care for them. If your child's caregiver is not available, your child will be cared for by another familiar staff member.
What is Continuity of Care?
Continuity of care refers to the practice of young children staying with a primary teacher for a designated length of time. At the Lab School, if your child enters as an infant, he or she will stay with the same teacher and be with the same cohort group of children until age-eligible for the preschool program. The teacher continually modifies the environment and activities to meet the children’s changing needs.
Why are Primary Caregiving and Continuity of Care so important for infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds?
Research such as Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood shows that young children thrive in an environment where they feel secure, close relationships. Children’s first relationships, especially with parents and primary caregivers, address two fundamental needs:
1. The presence of the primary caregiver reduces a child’s fear of challenging situations and enables the child to explore with confidence and to manage stress.
2. Attachment relationships strengthen a young child’s sense of confidence.
“Every child needs an intimate relationship with a primary caregiver over a long period of time. This is far more important to emotional and intellectual development than early cognitive training or educational games. If this relationship is absent or interrupted, a child can develop disorders of reasoning, motivation and attachment.” ~ Dr. T. Berry Brazelton & Dr.Stanley Greenspan
When will my child be able to move to the next age program?
As a guideline, children stay with their cohort age group (age on September 15). We have found this system progresses the children through the program at a natural rate. If your child entered as an infant, he or she would spend two years in the Program for Infants & Toddlers, one year in the Program for Two- and Three-Year-Olds, and two years in the Program for Three-, Four-, and Five-Year-Olds.
Why do you use the age of child on September 15 for placement rather than my child’s date of birth?
The state of Iowa uses this date for kindergarten entrance – a child must be five-years-old on September 15 to enter kindergarten that school year.
My child is age-eligible for kindergarten, but we are choosing to wait a year before sending him or her. Will you accept my child?
The National Association for the Education of Young Children encourages kindergarten classrooms and teachers to be ready for children at all levels. The only exception we might make in accepting a child age-eligible for kindergarten would be if the need for an extra year of preschool was documented in the child’s Individual Education Plan.
How will you individualize for my child?
All children are assessed using the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum. From that assessment, individual goals are established. Those individual goals are what guide the curriculum and activities you see throughout the day.
What does it mean that the Lab School offers a developmentally appropriate program?
Developmentally appropriate practices are teaching methods and curriculum components that are based on a child's developmental abilities. Such practices include active learning experiences, varied instructional strategies, a balance between teacher-directed and child-directed activities, integrated curriculum, and learning centers. These practices are reflected in the position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children on Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. This document outlines educational practices based on knowledge and theories of how children learn and grow.
How are my child’s academic needs met in a developmentally appropriate play-based program?
A play-based program provides the best developmentally appropriate method to meet all the needs of your child, not just the academic needs. With our curriculum linked to children’s individual assessments, we meet the children’s needs in all areas of learning by taking into account each child’s level of development. Throughout the day, there are many opportunities for language arts, creative arts, science experiments, math problems, etc.
Why is your preschool program multi-age?
In a multi-age classroom, opportunities exist for each child to interact with children of varying backgrounds, abilities, interests, personalities, and ages. According to Lillian Katz, "the intention of multiage grouping is to increase the heterogeneity of the group so as to capitalize on the differences in the experiences, knowledge, and abilities of the children." In a multiage classroom, children are viewed as individuals and expectations are adjusted for each child. Continuous progress in the curriculum promotes social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Research shows that mixed-age grouping helps children develop social skills and a sense of belonging.
My child has some special needs. Can you accommodate those needs?
Inclusion of children with identified special needs benefits everyone, from children to parents, to staff. We want to be able to show ISU students how children with special needs can be included in a community early childhood program. Therefore, we do give priority to children on the waiting list with identified special needs. Before enrollment, we would ask that you set up a meeting with the Lab School administration and teachings staff so that we can fully understand your child’s needs and make certain that we can meet those needs in a group care situation.
My child does not speak English. Will that be a problem?
Lab School teachers are experienced in working with children and families from linguistically diverse backgrounds. They help all children develop language and literacy skills in a variety of methods throughout the curriculum.
What meals do you offer at the Lab School?
The Lab School participates in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). We offer a morning snack, a mid-day lunch, and an afternoon snack that meets the CACFP guidelines. All meals are served family-style. Menus are posted outside each classroom as well as on our website. Nutritional needs of infants are met on an individual basis.
My child has special dietary needs. Can those be accommodated?
Our menus currently have vegetarian and lactose intolerant options. We will work with families to try and accommodate special dietary needs as much as possible.
Why don’t you celebrate holidays?
In general, religious holidays are acknowledged but will not be celebrated in the Lab School programs. It is the Lab School’s belief that holidays should be celebrated within each home as appropriate.
I’m not interested in my child attending the program for a length of time (summer, sabbatical, extended vacation, etc.). Will I still need to pay tuition?
Due to the long waiting list and our desire to operate at full capacity, the Lab School does not reserve openings for extended periods of time. If you wish to guarantee your child’s slot at the Lab School after an extended leave, you will need to continue paying the full tuition during the leave of absence.
Why do you close the program for one week in August?
This week provides a much needed time for custodial staff to deep clean the classrooms, as well as maintenance staff to address any needed issues. It also gives our teaching staff a time to prepare for the upcoming school year as they participate in trainings such as CPR, First Aid, Fire Safety, Universal Precautions, Medication Administration, etc.
Can I visit my child anytime at the Lab School?
Our open door policy welcomes families to visit the program. You may have lunch with your child, assist with a field trip, or simply help with a classroom activity. You may also observe your child from the observation booths attached to each classroom. We do ask that parents visiting the center for purposes other than drop off, pick up, or nursing to sign in and out on the visitor log for our records.
What happens if my child is sick?
Lab School health policies can be found in our Parent Handbook. Families should be prepared that children in their first group care experience have not built up immunities and will likely experience illness during their first year. Lab School staff work hard to prevent the spread of disease as much as possible by frequent hand washing and continuous sanitizing of equipment. In Ames, the Comfort Zone is available to families needing care for mildly ill children. To register in advance or learn more information, call 515-294-3333.
Do you offer part-time care?
As a Lab School, we need as much consistency in our classrooms as possible. Therefore, we do not offer part-time care in any of the programs.
Do children nap at the Lab School?
For most young children in a full-day program, a nap or quiet time is a necessary part of the day. Infants are allowed to sleep at their own individual schedules, while toddlers and preschoolers have a rest time after lunch. Lights are dimmed and soft music is played as staff assists children into settling in for a rest.
Does the Lab School close for weather-related reasons?
The Lab School will close if ISU classes are cancelled or offices are closed. If, however, in the rare circumstance that there are not enough staff on site to meet the required staff per child ratios, the Lab School is not permitted to operate. We will try to communicate this message to as many parents as possible through phone calls or e-mails. You may also listen to KASI 1430 for notification of delays, closings, or early dismissals at the Lab School.
Is the Lab School a preschool or a child care center?
We are in the field of early childhood education offering a full-day program. In theory, the term “preschool” and “child care” can and should be used interchangeably. Good child care is preschool. And, in truth, preschools are caring for children. It is our belief that learning is going on all day, so we keep the curiosity alive by providing experiences to deepen investigations throughout the day. So... Are we a preschool? Yes. Are we a child care? Yes. We invite you to come and see how when the environment is right, they become one in the same.
