About Our Program

The Lab School is a Reggio-Emilia inspired program. We believe that:

1. Children are capable and active constructors of their learning.

2. Teachers should be engaged and available to scaffold and support children in their learning and exploration.

3. Classroom environments should be intentionally set up with natural items to inspire children in active exploration.

1. The Lab School implements play-based emergent curriculum.

2. The intention of our curriculum is to nurture young children, stimulate their language, physical, cognitive, and creative development, and encourage positive self-esteem and social interactions.

3. Teachers are intentional in their planning and implementation of activities to best meet the needs and interests of the children. The Lab School uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), a parent-report screening tool, as a resource to support the development of children. The teachers also utilize the California Preschool Learning Foundations to demonstrate evidence that the activities they implement are helping children develop in multiple areas of development.

4. We value the importance of partnership between teachers and families to help provide children with a strong foundation for learning.

The Lab School generally follows the Orange Coast College semester schedule. The fall semester runs from mid to late August through early December, and the spring semester runs from mid-January through early June.