Programs

Desert Doves Toddler Program

The Desert Doves class is EEC Preschool's beloved toddler program for children who turn 2 years of age by September 1st. This class offers a warm and gentle introduction to cooperative preschool life. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, our classroom is thoughtfully designed to support the way young children learn best; through exploration, repetition, and meaningful play.

Children move freely between inviting indoor centers and outdoor play spaces, building important social-emotional, cognitive, and motor skills at their own pace. Playdough, process art & color exploration, manipulatives, dramatic play, and a variety of open-ended activities are offered daily during center time.

Self-help skills, conflict resolution, and independence are learned throughout the day as well as social-emotional skills such as recognizing and labeling their feelings. The children, teachers, and parents come together for short group times each day during circle time (storytelling and reading), music time, snack, and lunch. The Desert Dove class has a child to teacher ratio of 1:7 and 2-3 cooping parents present each day making it one of the most intimate and supportive toddler programs in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley.

Children in the Desert Doves class experience: