90 Years of Excellence in Early Childhood Education
Photos by Shelly Silva, Kathy F. Atkinson and courtesy of the Lab School October 16, 2024
UD’s Lab School celebrates 90 years as a teacher education laboratory
This fall, the University of Delaware’s Lab School celebrates 90 years of pioneering excellence in early childhood education, research and innovation.
Housed on the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Children’s Campus, the Lab School has not only shaped the next generation of educators but set the standard for practices like mindfulness and nature-based learning. Since its founding in 1934, it has served as a rich laboratory for UD students studying early childhood education and researchers while providing excellent care for children from the ages of six months through kindergarten.
“The UD Lab School is beyond anything I could have ever hoped for my children,” said BethAnn Aupperle, a Lab School parent. “Every day, I am inspired by the teaching teams’ commitment to demonstrating and teaching mindfulness, connecting children to nature, bringing them together in authentic child-led interactions and discovery and developing a sense of community among the families.”
Excellence in early childhood care and education
With a commitment to family partnerships, the Lab School’s research-informed programs spark children’s sense of wonder and curiosity through a balance of child-driven and teacher-directed activities that foster social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language development.
Alice Eyman, who served as the Lab School’s director from 1982 to 2005, emphasizes that family partnerships have always been a core part of the school’s mission.
“The University of Delaware is a land-grant institution, so from the very beginning, we had a responsibility to teach families about child development,” Eyman said. “The Lab School in the early years focused on offering a play school for children and helping agricultural families learn how to support children’s growth and development. The purpose then grew into offering resources to educators and families in the state and the community."
The Lab School continually worked to enhance its practices to better serve its families. For example, in the 1980s, technology was integrated into preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Working in partnership with CEHD faculty, the Lab School also hosted summer camps and other activities teaching children how to use microcomputers, develop keyboarding skills, interact with developmentally appropriate software and more.
Given its long history of innovation, it’s not surprising that the Lab School has also become a leader in nature-based education. In 2017, the Lab School began its nature-based preschool program, spearheaded by the late Cynthia Paris. Children explore the trails, creeks and wooded areas around the school while engaging in activities integrating science, math, literacy and the arts. In February 2024, the school received the Delaware Association for Environmental Education’s 2023 Exemplary Partnership Award for Excellence.
Serving Delaware communities
The school’s mission also includes building partnerships with the community, including organizations like Wilmington Head Start. The Lab School has provided professional development, coaching and mentoring for Wilmington Head Start teachers and administrators, as well as summer programming for children. This partnership also paved the way for collaboration with other UD units.
“Katie Pollock [a Lab School master teacher] was such a warm and knowledgeable resource in nature-based education for our Wilmington Head Start teachers and administrators, but the project didn’t end there,” said Linda Whitehead, a Wilmington Head Start board member and a former Lab School student teacher. “One of our providers, the Leslie Johnson Center, had to resurface their playground, and we thought, ‘This is a perfect opportunity to make some changes to the outdoor space and program.’ We’re now also working with a team from UD’s landscape architecture program.”
Lab School impact
Over its 90-year history, the Lab School has served approximately 5,600 children, trained 1,500 student teachers and supported more than 25,000 UD undergraduates across disciplines. Former Lab School children, student teachers and community partners often share fond memories and stories about how the Lab School impacted their teaching or career path.
CEHD alumna Shelby Tinsley and her brother both attended the Lab School as children. They are the second generation of children in their family to attend the Lab School. Tinsley’s mother, Sharon Dorr, was a child in Eyman’s kindergarten class.
“I remember playing with water tables outside, where you could change the direction of the water with different slides and doors,” said Tinsley, who is now assistant principal at Newark Charter School. “I don’t remember all of the activities, but I do remember feeling safe and loved. Many of the kids in my school attended the Lab School, and they’re so excited to have that connection with me. There’s a special sense of pride when you talk about the Lab School, and I think that’s very special and unique.”
Olivia Baldacci, a former Lab School student teacher and current elementary Montessori teacher, often talks about her experience with her colleagues at First State Montessori Academy in Wilmington.
“I still compare my teaching to my experience as a student teacher at the Lab School,” Baldacci said. “Everything we did was so intentional. Every little detail—the way we spoke to kids, the way we set out materials, the way we lesson-planned—was purposeful, and I still think about that now when I'm teaching.”
As early as their sophomore year, UD early childhood education students spend one day a week at the school, co-teaching with the master teachers, developing relationships with the children and cultivating reflective teaching practices.
Dorit Radnai-Griffin, the Lab School’s current director, highlights the Lab School’s ever-growing community as one of its strengths.
“I am most proud of the relationships we have with our children and their families, and with our undergraduate students. Our goal—always—is for the Lab School to be a place where children feel welcomed and supported and a place that families trust.”
The Lab School celebrated its anniversary in September 2024 with a community event that honored Eyman for her service and welcomed nearly 200 parents, teachers, alumni and friends. The Lab School will celebrate additional milestones throughout the year and continue to raise money to renovate its playground.
To learn more about the Lab School or to donate, visit its website.
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