SFA Early Childhood Lab

For the Community
The ECH Lab offers early care and education programs for young children in the Nacogdoches community. The childcare facility is available to anyone on a tuition basis. There are five separate age groups, including classes for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The program offers year-round, full-time care, five days per week. The hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Classroom Descriptions
In the Infant classroom there are eight spaces for children ranging from 2 to 12 months of age. There are two full-time teachers and a student assistant in the classroom who care for the children. The individual needs of infants are met as teachers individualize each child's feeding, sleeping and diapering schedule.

In the Toddler I classroom there are twelve spaces for children ranging from twelve to twenty-four months of age. There are two full-time teachers and a student assistant in the classroom who care for the children. A learning centers curriculum is introduced and implemented with this age group. These toddlers are given many opportunities for hands-on, multi-sensory activities throughout the day.

In the Toddler II classroom there are sixteen spaces for children ranging from 24 to 36 months of age. There are two full-time, certified teachers as well as a student assistant who teach and care for the children. A learning centers curriculum is implemented and toddlers are given many opportunities to become autonomous learners as they work and play in this hands-on, multi-sensory classroom.

In the Pre-Kindergarten I classroom there are twenty spaces for children who are three to four years of age. There are two full-time certified teachers who teach and care for the children. The learning centers curriculum is geared to meet the cognitive, physical, and social-emotional needs of this age group. Children are building the foundations needed to learn to read and write as well as developing math and reasoning skills.

In the Pre-Kindergarten II classroom there are twenty-two spaces for children who are four to five years of age. There are two full-time certified teachers who teach and care for the children. The expanded learning centers curriculum is geared to meet the cognitive, physical and social-emotional needs of this age group. Children continue to build the foundations necessary to learn to read and write as well as developing math and reasoning skills.

Food Service Information
The Early Childhood Lab houses a modern, institutionally equipped kitchen with two full-time food service employees. The staff prepares nutritious lunches and snacks to serve to the children. Lunches and snacks are served 'family-style' in the children's classrooms.