Lab School
Welcome to the University of Delaware Lab School! The Lab School serves the University of Delaware as a model of inclusive early childhood education addressing the needs and strengths of varied populations. We welcome children aged 6 months – 6 years and their families into our developmentally supportive part-time and full-time programs that range from infants to kindergarten. We are an innovation lab supporting the growth and development of University students while serving children, families, and the community. Since 1934, Lab School has supported UD’s academic programs preparing the next generation of professionals while providing a diverse, supportive, and accessible site for research conducted by faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and the Lab School staff.
Lab School is part of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware. The Master Teachers enact the practices taught to the undergraduate majors with a focus on child-centered curriculum, developmentally appropriate practices, Nature-based education, social-emotional, and mindfulness curriculum. Lab School is a living, breathing laboratory for undergraduates who are making connections between what they learn in their courses and real-life teaching.
LATEST LAB SCHOOL NEWS
Inspire Learning Through Outdoor Play
Research Spotlight: Jennifer Gallo-Fox and Dorit Radnai-Griffin
In Bloom in Delaware
In Memoriam: Cynthia Paris
SOCIAL MEDIA
Lab School Facebook
“The UD Lab School is beyond anything I could have ever hoped for my children. Everyday, 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.”
— BethAnn Aupperle, Lab School parent
Today, alum Kristin Mills shared the courtyard vegetable and pollinator gardens at Robert S. Gallaher Elementary School with us and we could not be more excited about the impact she is having on the outdoor learning environments at @Gallaher! Amanda Lala (Bluebird) and Katie Pollock (Goldfinch) helped clear invasives. We are hoping to connect with all our Lab School student teacher alumni soon! Stay tuned for a gathering this fall! ... See MoreSee Less
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A BIG shout out to the former student teachers who inspired us to share their incredible stories at the Natural Start Alliance Conference this year in San Antonio!!!! They embraced nature-based learning while they student taught and continue to find ways to include nature in their practices across the country. You all are making a BIG impact! Keep going!
Anna Aiken
Emma Hirschbein
Emma Smyth
Frances Hill
Grace Newman
Kristin Mills
Olivia Baldacci
Mads Climie
Sarie Berman
Sophie Ciolko
We had several other student teachers and previous student teachers give us valuable input that made our presentation so relevant and important. People across the country heard about you and are inspired awe!! ... See MoreSee Less
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BIG news from our Cynthia Paris Memorial playground! 🎉
Demolition is officially underway on our playground renovation! The amazing crew at ThinkGreen has been hard at work clearing out the old equipment, regrading the area, and prepping the ground for something spectacular.
We are absolutely thrilled to see this transformation begin. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to installing our brand-new play scape designed by Studio Ludo! 🛝✨ ... See MoreSee Less
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Our Nation celebrated quite a big anniversary yesterday! Happy July 4th, everyone! We would love to see how you celebrated history! ... See MoreSee Less
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Thinking back on the many children’s art projects that seemed to make our world so much brighter! We hope everyone is making lots of art at home this summer! Share some projects / photos below! ... See MoreSee Less
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The theme of Nat Start ‘26 is Imagine If… and we have been so excited doing just that! Yesterday, Amanda Bluebird & Katie Goldfinch presented on their year long bird study and we were able to imagine if every child connected to birds the way our littles do. We met folks from Ruth Staples Child Development Center from Nebraska Lab School and got to imagine if there was a lab school nature network. After hearing about incredible work in policy and grass roots efforts to imagine if we could connect EVERY child to nature, we attended the Higher Ed Summit. Christie Alden from the Lawson Foundation shared about “More Than a Course”where we got to imagine if nature and outdoor learning was woven into more of our work with undergrads. We are feeling so motivated, encouraged, hopeful, and stimulated! ... See MoreSee Less
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