Moffat County School District

The MSCD Early Childhood Center provides educational services for children ages birth to five years old. Programs are run in accordance with regulations, guidelines and statutes established by the Colorado legislature, Colorado Department of Education, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Exceptional Children’s Education Act (ECEA), the Colorado Department of Human Services and the Colorado Preschool Program Act as outlined in Colorado School Law.

Programs:

Child Find - Free developmental screening and assessment of children birth to five years old. Any child who has concerns in one or more of the following areas is eligible for this free services: speech and language, social or emotional, fine or gross motor, thinking or problem solving.

Colorado Preschool Program - Provides funding preschool for children ages 3, 4 or years old, that are not eligible for Kindergarten. Eligibility is based up biological, environmental and familial risk factors.

Early Intervention Services - Through special education and related services, children identified with disabilities can receive free educational and related services. These services are generally provided in an integrated preschool setting.

Preschool

Preschool Sessions: Tues - Fri morning: 8:30 am - 11:15 am
afternoon: 12:15 pm - 3:00 pm

Mission: The purpose of the Moffat County School District Early Childhood Center’s preschool program is to provide quality early childhood education for young children in Moffat County through active learning. Parents are a child’s first teacher, thus we encourage positive relationships between school and parents, working towards the achievement of shared goals.

Vision: All children will enter Kindergarten ready to learn. Readiness is obtained by having competency in the following areas: social and emotional development, language and communication skills, fine and gross motor abilities and the capacity to solve problems and think independently.

We believe . . . . . .

. . . . that all children should have opportunities to develop and learn at a unique and individual pace, in a safe, friendly and caring environment, that meets the needs of each child.

Guiding Principals of the Early Childhood Center:

? All children are unique, having individual strengths and talents.

? Children grow and develop in the context of relationships with their families, other children and significant individuals.

? Children with and without special needs learn important things from one another.

? The presence of a disability is not the defining characteristic of any child.

? Early learning experiences provide a better opportunity for future success in school and life.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Developmentally appropriate practice is simply defined as teaching in ways that match the way children develop and learn. It offers challenges just beyond the level of their present mastery and it takes place in the context of a community where children are safe and valued, where their physical needs are met, and whether they feel psychologically secure. lay is an essential component to early development in cognitive, physical, social, emotional and language areas. Developmentally appropriate practice is defined as age appropriate and individually appropriate, meaning that activities and experiences are planned based upon knowledge of the child’s individual development and learning --- that of his/her strengths, interests and needs.