College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

About the Child Development Lab

Mission Statement

The Child Development Laboratory (CDL) at North Carolina A&T State University in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences serves as a nurturing, creative, and engaging learning environment for preschool children, as well as University students, faculty, staff and the community. It offers a program that fosters self-reliance and inspires life-long learners. Families are encouraged to become actively engaged in the program.

Vision Statement

To enable each and every child to develop a curiosity of learning, discovery of interests, and grow in the developmental domains of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, language, and learning approaches.

Program Philosophy

The program philosophy is based on an agreement with research that has demonstrated the importance of early education and meaningful experiences for young children. Children learn best in an environment that provides physical, cognitive, social, and emotional stimulation during their developmental years. The environment must be filled with opportunities for both guided and independent exploration and discovery. These opportunities are provided by educated, compassionate and responsive teachers who use a variety of developmentally and culturally appropriate teaching strategies and materials.

Program Structure

The Child Development Laboratory embraces the “Creative Curriculum” which offers a variety of activities that integrate physical, intellectual, and social-emotional stimulation. The first priority of the Creative Curriculum is to meet the basic needs of children, while encouraging them to experiment, explore, and pursue their own interests. Our trained and experienced staff provides special emphasis on the spiritual and cultural uniqueness of children and their families. We provide developmentally appropriate activities for the child’s overall growth.