group of smiling children sitting on a carpet

Education

Maria Santana, Education Coordinator (Western Slope) msantana@edcoe.org (530)295-2321

Karen VanPatten, Education Coordinator (Western Slope) kvanpatten@edcoe.org (530)295-2203

Karrie Fieri, Education Coordinator (Western Slope) kfieri@edoce.org (530) 295-2422

Lindsey Shafer, Operations/Education (Western Slope) lshafer@edcoe.org (530) 295-2299

Diana Lozano, Operations/Education Coordinator (South Lake Tahoe) dlozano@edcoe.org (530)295-4803

teacher sitting with small children on carpet as they tap the group with drumsticks

Early childhood education and services are implemented in an enriched environment and are individualized to meet the needs of each child throughout the day. Educational staff plan the daily schedule and activities, organize classroom environments and select materials that foster development based on sound research, best child development practices. and children's interests.

School Readiness

The EDCOE Child Development Program has established School Readiness Goals that meet expectations for children ages birth to three and three to five.

  1. Parents can be assured that their child will be provided a curriculum to be ready for kindergarten at the completion of our program.
  2. Each child will have a foundation in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology.
  3. We educate children to express themselves, wait their turn, share, and get along with friends.
  4. There is an emphasis to support building life-long critical thinking skills, foster confidence, and encourage every type of learner to gain skills.

Preschool Programs

EDCOE Child Development Programs use Creative Curriculum as the primary curriculum model. The 38 research-based objectives are the heart of the curriculum and define the path teachers take with children in their classroom.

Creative Curriculum is organized into five fundamental principles:

  1. Positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for successful learning.
  2. Social-emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
  3. Constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning.
  4. The physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
  5. Teacher-family partnerships promote development and learning.

Supplemental resources used in the classroom are Second Step Social Emotional Skills for Early Learning and Learning Without Tears for math, literacy, language and writing skills.

Links to curriculum information:

Teaching Strategies logoSecond step logoLearing Without tears logo

Home Based Programs - Early Head Start

EDCOE home visiting programs use several curricula to assist with expectant families and families with infants and toddlers. The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) emphasizes the need for close, caring relationships between infants and their caregivers, the importance of consistency and responsive caregiving, and the necessary elements needed to promote a safe and healthy environment. PITC is supplemented with Partners for Healthy Baby to promote a healthy pregnancy, reduce infant risk for abuse, and enhance healthy child outcomes.

Bonding with Your Baby Before Birth is a booklet used to assure an emotional connection with the unborn baby. Partners in Parenting Education (PIPE) Curriculum uses activity cards to assist parents with appropriate play activities to enhance early relationships and communication. This particular curriculum is highly successful with teen parents. All curricula used in our programs are evidenced-based, scientifically valid and grounded in research-based child development theory and practice.

The curriculum used by our Home Based Programs is Parents as Teachers (PAT). The PAT model has three areas of emphasis:

  1. Parent-child interaction
  2. Developmental-centered parenting
  3. Family well-being

Link to curriculum information:

Parents as Teachers logo