First Day of Preschool!!!

First Day 2011 (2yo preschool at ECRC)

Today was Bennett's first day of Preschool!! We decided a couple of weeks ago that it would be beneficial for Bennett to experience a semi-structured, not-very-but-kind-of academic, play-based learning environment before he actually started school. As I am in the process of trying to earn a little money for our family, we figured that there's no time like the present to give me a couple of hours during the day to work while the little guy is off expanding his horizons.

I called a couple of places (there are not very many non-faith-based preschool options in our area) and decided that we would visit one and then determine if we wanted to visit another/others. Our top choice is the Fisher-Price Endowed Early Childhood Research Center at UB - North Campus. (ECRC for short.) You can check out the website here.

Some of the things that we really like about it are that it is on the University campus and run by the Graduate School of Education. This is not your run of the mill day care center! The two teachers in Bennett's class have graduate degrees in early childhood education and are not only teaching the little guys, but they're also teaching the other teachers.

The "curriculum" is play-based and child-centered. The teachers let the kids lead the way. As I watched Bennett this morning, he explored the painting station, the kitchen center and then the gerbil cage, all while his teacher simply observed. I love that he's given the freedom to roam safely!

I mentioned my watching him. Another thing that is really great about ECRC is that because it is a teaching center, the classrooms are observable all. the. time. I will even have web access to the cameras that are in the classroom so I can watch from afar if I so choose. The video that is shot of the classrooms is used to help the teachers become better. Because this is a research institute, the video is also used for data collection purposes when there is an experiment being run in a particular classroom. At this time, there are no questions being asked of the toddler room, but they're learning a lot from the older kids. I love the idea that Bennett is part of a greater research opportunity. I have two handsome scientists in my life and one doesn't even know it yet!

We go back for his second day on Wednesday. I hope that he doesn't kick and scream too much. He seems to like his teachers - Vivian and Stephanie. He cried a bit after he realized that we were not there, but I am told that he was able to be consoled, which is really nice to hear. He was a bit clingy this afternoon and evening, but that's to be expected, right? I'll keep you posted!