There are two full-day, year-round programs for children 3- and 4-years-old by Sept 15. The program is offered from 7:30A.M. to 5:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. The preschool classrooms are part of Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SVPP).
The curriculum offers a balance of individual, small group, and large group activities with an emphasis on learning centers and child self-selection. The programs are planned to stimulate all aspects of development by acknowledging each child's individual development, age-related development, and cultural background. Emphasis is given to children's learning by doing, imitating, observing, exploring, examining, experimenting, and questioning in activities and experiences planned according to their interests and home experiences. Language and literacy experiences, storytelling and story sharing, creative dramatics and music are integrated throughout the program as well as numbers, science, and outdoor activities. Emphasis is placed upon sharing, belonging to a group, and forming friendships with other children and adults. As part of the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program a daily, nutritious lunch is served in addition to a morning and afternoon snack.
The children are selected for these programs based on age and gender using a lottery system and include children with disabilities. Siblings of children currently enrolled in the Lab School will receive special consideration, but no guarantee is made that siblings will be enrolled. Transportation is the responsibility of the parents.
When considering enrollment for the program, it is important to consider the child's tolerance for interaction with many ISU student participants who have short-term contact with the children and the program. ISU student participants are assigned to teachers throughout the day to practice and learn safe, healthy, nurturing caregiving behaviors. In addition, each practicum student will have the opportunity to practice assessing, planning and implementing individualized activities with each child in order to meet individual needs. Other students, off-campus visitors, data-collectors, and researchers are able to observe the high quality care program from the spacious observation booth, which is equipped with audio and video-taping equipment. ISU faculty and students can also observe the activities through closed-circuit television for teaching purposes.
A $25.00 nonrefundable processing fee is due when the child is accepted for enrollment in a program. A deposit fee of $300.00 is due upon acceptance into one of the programs for enrollment. When given a thirty day written notice of withdrawal from the program, the deposit fee will be applied to the final bill.
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