The University of the District of Columbia, Early Childhood Lab School (ECLS)

The  purpose  of  the  Early Childhood Lab School (ECLS)  is  to  provide  each  3-5  year  old  child  with  the  knowledge,  skills, and  dispositions  needed  to  thrive  and  succeed  in  school  and  in  life.  Inspired  by  the  preschools  in  Reggio-Emilia  Italy,  the  ECLS  focuses  on  the  following  Reggio-inspired  program  elements,  the  environment  as  the  third  teacher;  children  using  multiple  symbols  to  represent  knowledge,  documentation  as  a  tool  for  assessment  and  advocacy;  curriculum  development  through  the  project  approach;  and  the  teacher  as  a  researcher.  The  ECLS  also  serves  as  a  model  early  childhood  site  and  practicum  experience  for  students  studying  Early  Childhood  Education,  human  development,  and  other  related  fields.