Meg Samson
MSDE, CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd
Coordinator, Anabeth and John Weil Early Childhood Center
Welcome to the Anabeth and John Weil Early Childhood Center
Our exciting program for 3- and 4-year-olds is adapted from nationally recognized general education preschool curricula that emphasize language, early literacy, pre-academic, social and motor skills. At age 5, our kindergarteners receive individualized instruction in listening, speech and language as they gain knowledge and skills outlined by the Missouri State Common Core Standards.
All of the children learn while playing and having fun as they prepare to join their peers with typical hearing in their neighborhood schools.
Children learn through play
The relationships among language, cognition, play and literacy are well-documented in educational research. Cognitive and spoken language skills developed through play lead to improved literacy and social skills.
“Just 20 months ago, Hattie couldn’t speak. Now she’s reading, writing and speaking clearly! CID has been life-changing for our kids.”
Meet the Team
"Logan's success is thanks to the dedicated teachers and staff at CID. We can’t imagine what his life would be without their help."
CID PEER PROGRAM
CID’s early childhood program includes children with typical hearing who learn alongside their peers who are deaf and hard of hearing.
We offer a strong, language-based, whole child curriculum, a small student–teacher ratio, a warm, child-friendly environment and highly trained teachers experienced in early childhood development. The daily schedule includes circle time, music and creative movement, art, children’s literature and small-group exploratory learning.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY
Children in the CID early childhood center receive speech instruction from their teachers assisted by a master’s level pediatric speech-language pathologist as needed to meet their individual goals. Family members are welcome to observe these sessions, which are tailored to address individual needs.
BUILDING LANGUAGE TOGETHER
CID’s Building Language Together program creates a partnership with families to guide and support listening and spoken language skills outside of the classroom. Each caregiver is given the opportunity to meet with their child and an experienced educator to pursue goals that the family sets for the child.
FAMILY SUPPORT
The CID early childhood center has an open door policy. Parents and caregivers are welcome to observe in classrooms any time if they schedule it in advance. Parents attend 3 or 4 parent-team visits per year, during which we review their child’s progress and set goals together. Parents are encouraged to communicate with the classroom teachers via email and phone.
CID’s school counselor is available to meet with parents and caregivers during daily office hours. Families can also contact our family support specialist to request individual consultations.
CID families learn from and connect with one another through our Hearing from the Heart program as well as a variety of social opportunities, school events and family outings.
“The communication from the school is unparalleled and we have felt supported every step of the way. Our daughter LOVES school at CID. We have been blown away by how much she is learning.”