Lab School

Each year, the UD Laboratory Preschool provides pre-service education experiences annually for more than 200 UD students preparing to enter fields of education, human services, psychology, social work, medicine and more.

• UD students from a variety of majors complete several guided observations at the Laboratory Preschool as part of the course HDFS 221: Child Development II. These observation experiences contribute to their study of the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of young children.
• All students majoring in Early Childhood Education (ECE) complete a semester-long practicum experience at the Laboratory Preschool as part of the course HDFS 224:Practicum in Inclusive Curriculum, Birth-Grade 2 typically during their sophomore year. They are responsible for working with small groups or individual children once a week under close supervision of the Master Teachers.
• ECE students may return to the Laboratory Preschool during their senior years to complete one of two required nine-week Student Teaching experiences, as part of EDUC 400. Student teachers are responsible for phased-in curriculum planning and implementation, ongoing assessment, and work with families under close supervision of the Master Teachers.
• Students majoring in Human Services often complete 50 hour internships at the Laboratory Preschool as part of HDFS 334: Experiential Education. Depending on their interests and the needs of the school, students spend about 5 hours per week working with small groups or individual children under close supervision of a Master Teacher in one of the classrooms or in the art studio.

Watch these videos to learn more about the Early Childhood Education major and the Human Services major or visit the Department of Human Development and Family Studies for more information.

The Laboratory Preschool welcomes volunteers to provide additional support in classrooms when needed. Students interested in volunteering can email labpreschool@udel.edu about available volunteer opportunities.