Early Learning Center

*All appointments must be confirmed. Do not come to the office unless you have received a confirmation.

What our parents are saying:

Parents

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A warm, safe and affordable environment for children four weeks to six years old, right in the heart of Springfield.

Springfield Partners Early Learning Center is fully licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). All COVID-19 protocols are followed as set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

We serve infants (4 weeks–14 months), toddlers (15 months–2 years, 9 months) and preschoolers (2 years, 9 months–5 years who have not yet entered kindergarten).

We accept vouchers, EEC contract slots, and private pay slots. Call 413-263-6500 option 3 to schedule an intake appointment.

Philosophy

Springfield Partners Early Education and Care Center provides a warm, responsive, caring, safe, and culturally diverse atmosphere for children 4 (four) weeks to 6 (six) years (not yet entered kindergarten) and their families. We seek to provide a flexible program that respects individual differences in children’s learning styles, while encouraging a cooperative spirit among children. We work to help all children achieve individual success emotionally, socially, intellectually, and physically.

Our goal is to support children by promoting self-confidence, curiosity, self-control, and communication skills. We believe that children learn and grow by experiencing their surroundings through their senses and social interactions, by physically moving around and being cared for by loving, attentive adults. We focus on language and literacy development; cultural and human relations (sharing, taking turns); developing gross motor skills (balls, riding toys, mats); and fine motor skills (manipulating objects, puzzles, crayons, painting).

We believe it is important to establish daily routines and schedules. Routines and schedules are necessary so that children know what to expect and understand what is expected of them. Our schedule offers a range of different types of activities including: active and quiet time, large/small group activities, time to play alone or with others, indoor and outdoor playtimes, and time for children to select their own activities and for teacher-directed activities. Our schedule promotes consistency but allows for flexibility.

Our Staff

Our teachers are trained professionals who are certified through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Teachers know the learning process and child development, are supportive of children and their families, and plan curriculum designed to meet the needs of individual children and the group as a whole. The staff is open to and encourage communication with parents/families. Staff incorporate information gathered from families about their values, beliefs, and experiences to modify curriculum. We strive to ensure that the materials in the classrooms reflect the lives of the children and families we serve as well as the diversity found in society.

Curriculum

Day-to-day teaching is done in the context of weekly planning. Teaching staff utilize Teaching Strategies Gold assessment and planning program to develop weekly planning forms. The form allows teachers to develop and implement opportunities for learning that are consistent with program goals and objectives. Children experience the curriculum topics through hands-on activities and play. The curriculum and age-appropriate materials allow children to develop through each stage of learning at their own pace.

The curriculum is individualized to meet the needs of all children, including children with special needs. Observation is the basis for both weekly planning and the ongoing assessment of children’s progress. Teachers use information learned through observations and the assessment process to individualize learning for children.

Our goal as teachers is to provide interactive, environmentally based, anti-biased, play-oriented curriculum where children develop social competence that will prepare them for school and life. It is a curriculum focusing on each child as an individual by allowing for different skills and interest levels. This enables children to choose from a variety of teacher-prepared activities that increase the child’s personal growth as well as teaching group interaction. The teachers plan and offer daily experiences in the areas of literacy, math, science, technology, social studies, the arts, and health and safety.

Our four preschool classrooms utilize the Big Day for Pre K curriculum; the same curriculum that is used by the Springfield Public Schools. Big Day for Pre K is a proven effective comprehensive program that ensures kindergarten readiness by building the foundation for success in school and life.

Diversity

An important goal for our program is to develop an appreciation for the richness of diversity, which encompasses race, ethnicity, different abilities, religions, genders, family, age, etc.

The Early Learning Center does not discriminate based on parent/guardians’ race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, cultural heritage, political beliefs, marital status, or toileting status of child.

Parent Involvement

The Early Learning Center has an open door policy, parents are allowed to make unannounced visits at any time while their children are in care.

Parents and/or families are their child’s first teachers. We believe it is important that teachers and caregivers form strong connections with families and involve families in the program.

Parent involvement is both welcome and encouraged. We invite parents to share suggestions, comments, criticisms, talents, interests, hobbies, etc., with us to help further enrich the care of their child (ren).

Throughout the year we have many and varied parent engagement opportunities including field trips, open house, parent/child lunch, parent workshops, etc. We encourage parents to attend as many events as is possible.

Partnerships

As the designated community action agency for the city of Springfield, Springfield Partners for Community Action offers many programs for the families we serve.

Read more about the organizations we work with

These are the organizations we currently work with to provide the best services to the children and families we serve:

Behavioral Health Network—provides consultation and training services for staff and individual children
Raising a Reader—provides workshops for parents, and the Red Bag lending program where each child brings home a bag of books weekly to enjoy and return
Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program)—children are signed up to receive a free book mailed to their home monthly
Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services—provides complete on site (at school) dental services
Literacy Lab—a full-time literacy tutor, who works individually with children to get them ready for kindergarten and beyond, is in our oldest preschool classroom
Springfield Public School—CPPI program
Urban League (Foster Grandparent Program)—some of our classrooms have “grandmas” from the program who help to care for the children

Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI)

We have partnered with the Springfield Public Schools on the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) in one of our preschool classrooms. Through our collaboration with the school we will collectively build upon the goals identified to create a more sustainable infrastructure in Springfield to increase access to high-quality preschool programs for high-need children.

In the CPPI classroom we have embedded inclusive practices and services within the instructional day. A certified special needs teacher from Springfield Public Schools is in the classroom daily to co teach with our staff. We have eliminated the need for five special needs children (children with Individual Education Plans—IEP) to be transported to and from the public school. Through our work the children are able to stay in our care all day, and their needs are met by having their services (speech, occupational therapy) come to them. This leads to less transition for kids and better outcomes.

If you have a preschool age (3–5 years) child who has an IEP with Springfield Public Schools, he/she may be eligible for this program and would not need to be bussed to and from the public school for services. Call 413-263-6500 option 3 and ask about the CPPI program.

Administrative Staff

Center Director: Jenniffer Gonzalez x6522
Assistant Director: Maria Perez x6521
Family Engagement & Outreach Coordinator: