Programs and Curriculum

We offer a variety of programs and curriculum to fit your needs and the age of your child. Expand each section below to llearn more about each age group.

Infant

Our Infant Program focuses on the following:

  1. We give our infants the security of a main caregiver. They develop a close relationship that a baby needs.
  2. We care for each baby as the unique individual that they are, meeting the child’s needs to be held, fed, changed and cared for.
  3. We help the infant explore his/her world through sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.
  4. We communicate with baby, talking to them as we care for them. We are always picking up their eyes to see us, through their beginning sounds, facial expressions, and movements.
  5. We help baby develop physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually by providing a safe, secure environment, and plenty of encouragement and developmentally appropriate toys as they explore their world.
  6. We build solid relationships with baby’s parents, following their instructions for baby’s schedule and other care preferences.
Toddler

Our Toddler Program focuses on the following:

  1. Caregivers help toddlers find appropriate ways to assert themselves by giving them choices whenever possible and providing them with beginning social guidelines.
  2. Caregivers communicate with toddlers as they learn to use words and actions to express their feelings and get their needs met.
  3. Developmentally appropriate toys and a safe, secure environment help toddlers develop as they explore their ever expanding world.
  4. A daily routine helps toddlers know what to expect next. They look forward to highlights such as storytime, outside play, music and movement, and meals.
  5. Caregivers provide our toddlers with a variety of experiences and activities that support initiative, autonomy, creativity, and self-esteem.
  6. Our strong relationships with parents helps both better understand and meet the preschoolers needs, as we share experiences and insights.
Preschool

Objectives

  • To meet the developmental needs of each individual child in cognitive growth.
  • To build success upon success.

The program is set up to evaluate your child to see where their knowledge is at now in the areas of math, reading, science, and social studies. Once we find out where your child’s level of success lies, we will prescribe jobs that they can do and jobs that will take them to their next level of development.

Math

Jobs are designed to provide ages 4 – 8 years with open-ended job exercises that stimulate conceptual development. The teacher asks questions and guides the growth of the child.

Skill Development

  • Counting
  • 1:1 correspondence
  • Numeral recognition
  • Conversion of numbers
  • Relationships within and between numbers
  • The process of addition
  • The process of subtraction
  • Interpreting symbols
  • Writing and solving addition and subtraction equations

Reading

Two types of reading programs used to stimulate each child.

Phonetics

High Hat stories that help the memorization of sounds, putting the sounds together to hear words, putting words together to make sentences.

Learning to write sounds, words, and sentences in the child’s own book.

Key Vocabulary

Learning that letter symbols have meaning to each individual child. Putting words together.

Science

Using nature to help tie together questions of the how and why, cause and effect.

Social Studies

Hands-on experiences in the Bismarck community of how people, animals and plants live and develop in their environment.

The program is set up for sound development progress of each child. The hands-on activities help your child to internalize the experience and use that experience in their daily lives. That means hard work equals challenging yet fun activities that help your child reach their fullest potential.

KidStop

ECLC’s before and after school childcare program for children ages 6 – 10 is fun, educational, and a safe place for kids to be kids! KidStop is also provided during the summer.

KidStop hours are available during the school year from:

  • 7:00 am – 8:00 am with transportation to school
  • 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm with transportation from school
  • 7:00 am – 6:00 pm during the summer

Additional information and contractions are available at any of our locations. Please feel free to stop in or call.

Kids have opportunities to

  • Work in small or large groups
  • Work individually
  • Use hands-on materials
  • Make lifelong friends
  • Library, reading, and creative writing
  • Computer access
  • Games/puzzles
  • Science experiments
  • Indoor/outdoor play
  • Creative art
  • Cooking experiences
  • Field trips (see below)
  • Nutritional lunches & snacks
  • Breakfast available
  • Discuss history and current events important to kids
  • Grow where good character is emphasized
  • And much more!

Transportation to and from selected lessons:

(Minimum # group size required to go)

  • Swim lessons – YMCA
  • Gymnastics – Bismarck Gymnastics Academy
  • Tennis – Bismarck Parks & Recreation
  • Baseball – Bismarck Parks & Recreation
  • Safety Village – Bismarck Parks & Recreation

Open Swim

We attend Open Swim almost daily at either Wachter Wave Pool or Hillside Pool

Field Trips

Past favorites include the following:

  • Fort Lincoln State Park
  • Hillside Water Slide
  • Dakota Zoo
  • Bowling
  • Fishing
  • McDowell Dam
  • Boat Safety Day – McDowell Damm
  • Mandan Community Center Water Slide
  • Area parks
  • World War Memorial Gym
  • Heritage Center
  • Snoopers
  • Raging Rivers Water Park