The Infant/Toddler Lab School provides opportunities for college students to observe and participate with children in various ways. Students observe and participate in order to develop a frame of reference concerning the growth, development and behavior of young children. These experiences allow students to participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of activities, observe children's reactions to the routines of the day, study their progress within the program and develop skills in interacting positively with both individual children and groups.
The ITLS welcomes the opportunity to support your course objectives through observation and/or class practicum. The ITLS serves children 3 through 36 months in three developmentally appropriate classrooms.
Typically, our center only offers observations for our toddler (ages approximately one to two years of age) or two year old (two years to thirty-five months of age) classrooms.
If you are interested in placing practicum and/or interns at the ITLS, please contact the director at (909) 537-5661.
Observation Policies
Observers must be enrolled in a CSUSB course or must have received prior approval from the office staff. Prior to beginning an observation, students must check in with the office staff in SB 145 or SB 141.
Observations may be conducted during the following times:
- Monday through Thursday: 9:00 am to 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
- Friday: 9:00 am to 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Observers should be prepared to provide a CSUSB ID or another form of picture ID. Observers must sign in with the office staff and leave their cell phones in the office for the duration of their observation. When done observing, observers can return to the office to sign out and retrieve their cell phone and id.
Students conducting practicum and/or internship opportunities need to provide proof of a current TB test (this proof must be no older than one year), MMR vaccine, tdap/dtap within the last ten years, a flu shot, and a signed Intern/Lab Student Handbook Acknowledgement. As these students will be interacting with children in the classroom it is imperative that they are healthy and well-versed regarding Lab School policies and procedures.
To assist in providing your students with the optimal observation experience the following resources are available:
- Posted classroom schedules for both the toddler and infant rooms listing approximate activity times (nap, mealtimes, learning activities, outdoor time)
- A 'who's who' chart that provides pictures, names, typical attendance days/times and birthdates for each child enrolled in the Lab School
- Audiovisual capability. Each room is equipped with cameras and remote microphones that allow children's activities to be seen, heard, and videotaped via TV's located in each corner of the observation room.
Instructor Classroom Tours
The Lab School is equipped with a large observation room designed to hold a small college class. If you are interested in bringing your students to observe as a group (the Lab School observation room is equipped with audio links to each classroom, one-way mirrors, and a whiteboard), please contact our director at 537-5661.