Testimonials

Our experience with the ECEC has been phenomenal.  The center has set a bar of expectation that I am not sure other centers would ever be able to meet!  As first time parents, the ECEC provided us with the best care our daughter could have outside of our own home.  She learned so much, had fun, made friends and truly enjoyed her time at the ECEC.  We loved our time with the center and are so sad to go!  If not for moving, we would have definitely enrolled our daughter all the way through Kindergarten.

- Maria Varitek

Keep up the amazing work.  As a teacher myself and as a former ECEC employee/intern, there is no other place I can imagine sending my own children.  I have seen tremendous growth in my son.  The developmentally appropriate practices mixed with staff who truly understand and care about children as individuals create an irreplaceable piece of mind for a parent who is looking for an ideal placement for a young child.

- Ed Sims

The ECEC program is amazing and is staffed by awesome people who really care about the kids and their families.  We are happy about our move to Ann Arbor, but sad that Mazzy will not be able to finish his preschool years with you all.  Thanks so much for your fervor for exciting, interesting and engaging childhood education!

- Erich Friebel

The ECEC is an excellent center to encourage kids to develop while they are having fun exploring.  Both of my kids thrived in the environment and I would highly recommend it.  My kids loved it so much they never wanted to leave at the end of the day! 

- Lisa Rotta

I wanted to drop a line and let you know how impressed I am with the things my son is learning this year. Over the past 2 - 3 weeks his literacy has really taken off, and he is reading short sentences. It's been great to see him grow.

- Kristin Swor Wolf, M.D.
 

We want to thank you and the U of M ECEC for a wonderful two years of school and summer camps. Noah has flourished over the last two years. Most importantly we thank you for all of your support to our family.

- Michael, Shannon & Noah Hardecki

On behalf of the Detroit Public School early childhood teachers and all of us involved in the Reggio Staff Development Project, Merrill-Palmer Institute's Child Development Laboratory staff, as well as our colleagues form Toledo Head Start- I would like to thank you and your entire staff for our wonderful visit to your school.  We appreciate your willingness to accommodate our group, which turned out to be quite large!

For some of the educators n the tour, this was their first visit to such an evolved Reggio-inspired site.  This afforded them the opportunity to see up close and personal just what a classroom can look like the teachers fully embrace the principles of the Reggio philosophy.

Overall, we were quite impressed by the strong presence of the documentation of the learning experiences of the children and teachers, with particular influence placed on using this documentation to revisit experiences. We were moved by the obvious depth of thought and study on the part of the teachers, and also by the evidence of higher level thinking on the part of the children as each of the protagonists clearly negotiated the curriculum. Noteworthy too were the wide variety of materials as languages for expression and understanding the educational concepts.

Many commented on the simplicity and organization used to create such aesthetically pleasing learning environments, and also noted the multiple uses of natural materials.

As for the teaching staff- we were very impressed with their collegiality, their warmth, and their commitment to the work they are doing.

- Carol Lynn Williams, Detroit Public School

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you [Debbie Jones, ECEC Site Director] and have you as a mentor, I have learned so much from you.  Your guidance and support have helped me become the person I am today, more confident, professional, and well-rounded. I know that everything I have learned from you will help me in my future career as a teacher and as a person in general.  Thank you for being such an influential and important person in my life, I will miss you!

- Cassie White, 2012 College of Education, Health, and Human Services Graduate

I love how warm and friendly the atmosphere is at the ECEC. Every time I walk into the ECEC I always feel welcome and I am never afraid to ask questions. Everyone here is supportive and they want nothing but the best for you.  I have learned about my strengths and weaknesses and have been able to shape myself into the teacher that I want to be. The ECEC has given me the opportunity to find my niche as a teacher. I have learned so much about myself and gained the confidence I need to be a successful teacher.

- Brooke Macey, College of Education, Health, and Human Services Student

I really enjoy the family atmosphere at the ECEC. I like being able to walk down the hall and greet families and children by name, as well as having family know me and know my name. The ECEC is more than just a childcare center. It provides children and families with a safe place to learn and develop together. Parents and teachers work hard to collaborate between home and school for the child. I also really enjoy the collaboration between classrooms and with the Oakwood CEF. The teachers are constantly working together and bouncing ideas off of one another for lessons and investigations. I have had the opportunity to learn so many things that pre-service teachers are never taught in class. I have been mentored by many wonderful teachers and picked up so many tips and tricks in the last three years.

- Jordan Giordano, College of Education, Health, and Human Services / Kindergarten Teacher St. Mary's in Pinckney