Enroll Your Child

The Merritt College Preschool Lab is a working preschool that also serves as a classroom for Child Development majors taking the our capstone course, 55A Preschool Practicum. Because we are a college class, we are open during the course meeting times: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We follow the Merritt College Academic Calendar.

All Preschool Lab student teachers are students of Merritt College who are enrolled in the Child Development's capstone class, the 55A Preschool Practicum. They have completed 5 prerequisite Child Development classes before enrolling. For many, this is their last semester before they graduate or transfer. They are considered volunteers by licensing, so Merritt College instructors and staff are on hand at all times supervising the student teachers as they work with the children and grow into their teacher roles.

The two cores of our program are quality interaction between teacher and child, and careful observation that allows for our student teachers to practice moving from predetermined activities to an emergent curriculum model. Student teachers are scaffolded throughout the process, from creating an activity plan, through implementing and interacting with children, and encouraged to continuously improve through self-assessment and change through iteration.

Our student teachers are trained to project a sense of consistent warmth and support for children. They learn to redirect children when necessary, set appropriate limits and never speak harshly to any child. They also learn how to provide an appropriate and healthy learning environment for children.

Our child-centered program is based on developmentally appropriate practices. We focus on the whole child through activities that nurture growth in the cognitive, social, emotional, creative and physical realms. We focus on building children’s positive self-image, and in support of that goal, we foster a supportive, trustworthy and interesting environment that gives each child the opportunity to have a wide variety of experiences.

The physical environment at the Preschool Lab is separated into activity centers.

• cooking
• dramatic play
• language arts
• art
• music/movement
• table toys
• carpentry
• clay/playdough
• science/sensory
• gardening
• big body play
• blocks
• early numeracy

Our school has few transitions,  which allows children a sense of continuity, as well as adequate periods of time to explore and to involve themselves in meaningful activities.

The materials in the centers range in difficulty over a three to four year span and are changed periodically to afford challenge as children grow. They are carefully arranged in an organized interesting manner and children learn to help return materials they use so that they develop a sense of care and responsibility.

During the school day, children have a number of social experiences including small group, one-on-one and large group interactions that provide opportunities for each child to practice age-appropriate social skills with both adults and other children.

The Preschool Lab is open to all members of the community with an emphasis on cultivating a diverse classroom with children of all backgrounds to provide our college students with an experience representative of the vibrant community we live in. In order to enroll in the Preschool Lab, children must be 3 years old, fully potty trained, and vaccinated as per CA law.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the Preschool Lab, please contact Bonnie Rippberger.

For more information about the Merritt College Preschool Laboratory program, please contact Bonnie Rippberger.