Category: News

Sheila Williams Ridge, co-director of the Child Development Laboratory School (CDLS), was recently interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio’s Early Risers podcast. The segment discussed how race and implicit bias show up in the classroom, the ways in which teachers can learn to recognize their own biases, and how to talk to young children about race. During the conversation, Williams Ridge… Continue reading Williams Ridge interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio

In every classroom throughout the CDLS program, students are making a difference in the lives of children and families.   In some spaces students work directly with children and teachers as classroom assistants, practicum students, administrative support staff, or student teachers. There are other students who come to observe, research, and learn about the development of… Continue reading Celebrating our U of M students

Staff Appreciation Dinner  Thursday, Dec 16, 2021 At the CDLS parent meeting, several parents asked how they could support the teachers and school staff right now. To that end the CDLS parent association organized a staff pot-luck dinner at the school on the night of December 16th. Thank you so much for signing up to… Continue reading Upcoming events: Staff appreciation dinner and CDLS family bonfire

To help keep your child healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19, CDLS is providing free at-home rapid tests through the State of Minnesota’s free COVID-19 testing options for all school, child care, and early education settings.  If your child is excluded from school for covid-related symptoms, we will send home a BD Veritor test… Continue reading COVID Information: CDLS providing free at-home rapid tests

As we prepare for the colder winter weather, please send your child with the appropriate clothing to venture outside each day, and please remember that layering is important for flexibility as the weather changes throughout the day. In the part-day classrooms children spend up to 3 hours each day outdoors, so it is important that… Continue reading Gearing up for cooler weather

Some families have asked about the focus on time outdoors year-round in some of the classrooms.  We see this part of our program as a wonderful opportunity for children and their families to embrace the place that we all call home–Minnesota!   There are so many amazing learning experiences outdoors for children, and during the pandemic… Continue reading Winter weather and outdoor learning

Winter can be a tricky time for car seats and ensuring your infant, or young child, is staying warm, yet the most important thing is to make sure they are safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shares some helpful tips for families, listed below, to support the perfect balance to help ensure your child… Continue reading Infant/child car seat safety

As the weather continues to get colder, the children have more opportunities to practice their personal care routines through self-dressing of their outdoor gear. This supports their gross motor and pre-math educational skills for young children.  They are learning to develop recognition of ability by promoting a stronger sense of self through repetition and mastery.… Continue reading For toddlers: Practicing the jacket ‘flip trick’

Hello families,  Thank you for filling out the parent education survey!  We appreciate your feedback and the survey is now closed. From the survey, the majority of the respondents wanted a guest speaker, topical resources on the CDLS website and in the newsletter, and a quarterly parent support group. The staff will begin working on… Continue reading Parent Education: Resource on young children and technology

We were excited to hold our first CDLS parent meeting in November! It was great to hear from parents across the program sharing what you value about the CDLS community, and to hear your ideas about what we can do this year to build community and make our program stronger. Thank you for attending the… Continue reading CDLS Parent Association update