The Early Childhood Learning Laboratory (ECLL)

The Early Childhood Learning Laboratory (ECLL) is a preschool affiliated with and located at the School of Education. The ECLL is a laboratory and demonstration school that is available to Boston University students, parents of children in the program, and other early childhood professionals for observing children and teachers. Children whose families live in the local neighborhood primarily attend this open- enrollment school.  There are 18 children, ages 2.9-5, in a mixed age group with two licensed early childhood teachers.

The preschool program employs an innovative, inquiry-based approach to curriculum design. Teachers determine a topic of study that relates to the children's interest. The concepts or big ideas of this topic are decided upon, and activities are designed to teach those concepts. Teachers continually monitor the children's engagement in the activities, documenting their comments, questions, and interactions in order to make on-going adjustments to the plan and the environment.

All students in the early childhood program, both undergraduate and graduate, complete one semester of fieldwork in the ECLL.  Our students work closely with the teachers, meeting and planning with them, and implementing their plans with their guidance and support. The ECLL classrooms are equipped with video recording equipment, which enables the staff to regularly record each student's work in the classroom. Each student has the opportunity to view the videotape to reflect on his or her teaching performance. In addition, each student meets with the faculty supervisor to review the videotape and discuss the student's growth in her/his teaching skills. Our students also observe lead teachers and children from the adjacent Observation Room where they can listen through headphones and view the classroom through the one way viewing windows.