Virginia Tech Child Development Center for Learning & Research

MISSION & PHILOSOPHY 

The mission of the Virginia Tech Child Development Center for Learning and Research (CDCLR) is to provide model programs and leadership for local, state, and national early childhood communities in the teaching, research, and service missions of the university. 

In this regards we strive to:
• provide quality programs for young children and their families based on child development theory, research, and developmentally appropriate practice;
• provide professional education in child development and early childhood education;
• generate new knowledge through the study, observations, and research of child development and early childhood education.

The philosophy of the CDCLR is grounded in social constructivist theory.  This theoretical view holds that knowledge and understanding are constructed through social interactions.  Classrooms are inherently social places wherein teachers and children negotiate the curriculum together.  Our aim is to offer a developmentally appropriate environment in which children are given opportunities to make choices, pursue their own questions and concerns, connect what is known and unknown, and be successful as they explore and discover through play, informal learning activities, and projects.  Guided participation in the activities of the children is the primary role of the teacher, and play and the expression of ideas through interactions with adults, peers, and the environment are the primary business of children.  Because we believe the parent-child relationship is the most important context for learning and development, we strive to maintain close connections between home and school, and value the cultural and individual perspectives that families bring to the program.