Mission, Vision, & Philosophy
Mission Statement
The Charlotte R. Riley Child Center operates under the supervision of the Behavioral Sciences Department. The Child Center is a combination program providing preschool, full day kindergarten, child care, and summer programming.
The Charlotte R. Riley Child Center has a two-fold purpose:
- To provide the highest quality of child care and education for children
of university students, faculty, staff, and community.
- To provide a laboratory setting for students enrolled in the Early Childhood
Development curriculum program.
Our Vision
We want to be a place where... |
Children are valued
for their meaningful work. |
Staff are valued
for their zeal, knowledge, and commitment. |
Children's learning
and growth are seen as intertwined. |
Staff create places
and spaces for caring relationships. |
Children's ability
to wonder, explore, and soar. |
Staff delight in being with children
and share in their joys. |
Parents are valued
as their child's first advocate. |
Together, we appreciate
the child's ability to play. |
Parents receive support
in their child rearing roles. |
Together, we realize
we are always learning. |
Parents enthusiastically promote
their child's hands-on approach to play. |
Together, we value
each moment of each day. |
Our Philosophy
The program of the Charlotte R. Riley Child Center has been developed to meet the physical, mental, emotional, social, and creative needs of the young child. The classroom environment encourages trust and independence. Emphasis is on helping the child gain a positive self-concept, self-discipline, and help in developing warm relationships with others.
Early childhood research shows that young children learn primarily through play. Play is an essential part of childhood. It offers the freedom children need to try out new ideas, practice developing skills, and imitate adult roles. It allows children to learn social skills and develop friendships.
Children are knowledge builders. They apply what they have already learned to different situations. Exploring, discovering, questioning, and guessing are important activities. “Readiness” skills are developed through play, and concepts are formed. Children gain a sense of mastery through their activities. They become the active decision-makers in their own scenarios. Our center promotes the development of the whole child through play.
We believe that children learn through active hands on involvement with materials, equipment, and activities. During active play, a child’s mind, body, and emotions develop, and true learning takes place. We encourage children to be independent in basic care routines because these routines can provide as much opportunity for meaningful learning to occur as experiences planned in the interest areas of the classroom. Our goal is to provide a stimulating, sensitive environment that supports the child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.
Children learn how to form positive, caring, cooperative relationships by interacting with children and adults. Through these interactions, children learn to get along with others. When a child experiences success in play and is encouraged to make choices, communicate thoughts and feelings in a positive way, and accept responsibility for actions, the child learns social skills that will last a lifetime. Early childhood play experiences effect learning and personal growth throughout life. Our objective is to assist families in the task of providing a strong foundation for their child’s future development. |
