Child Development Center
The Alabama A&M University Child Development Center (CDC) established in 1947 serves as a Laboratory Center, in the Family and Consumer Sciences. The program serves children ages two to four years old. The Center serves children of diverse backgrounds, cultures and socio-economic levels and is a valuable resource for faculty, staff, students, and the community. The Center also supports, the University鈥檚 mission of teaching, research, and service.
About this program
Alabama A&M University Child Development Center philosophy is based on the belief that children are capable and inquisitive learners; thereby providing various learning opportunities in and outside the classroom. To support the mission, Houghton-Mifflin Curriculum is used to provide young learners with every opportunity to build foundations to help children develop a lifelong love of learning. The objectives of the AAMU Child Development Center are to:
- Stimulate a love for learning.
- Instill self-esteem, self-worth, and self-respect.
- Create a warm, welcoming, and nurturing environment that inspires and motivates children to reach their full potential.
- Teach the importance of character, commitment to the family, commitment to the community, respect for the individual, and celebrating our differences.
Curriculum
The Houghton-Mifflin Curriculum consists of such learning areas as language arts, mathematics, art, music and movement, and science. Every attempt is made to provide the proper match between the abilities of the child with the materials and concepts that are introduced. There is a balance between structured and unstructured activities with large blocks of time allotted for child-selected free-play in centers. Activities include but are not limited to painting, drawing, role-playing, clay modeling, block building, puzzles and other fine motor manipulative, and computer.
Speech and hearing screenings are available at no cost to children attending the Child Development Center. Screening will be done by the Alabama A&M Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic upon request.