The Lexington Four Early Childhood Center (ECC) serves three, four, and five-year-old children in a full-day program for all students residing in Lexington Four.  Our school was established to positively impact our students and community through early intervention by providing a quality early childhood foundation. The ECC is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by focusing on teaching and supporting social-emotional learning skills for young children and early literacy skills to promote thinking, writing, and reading in preparation for first grade. 

Aligned with SC Kindergarten curriculum standards across content areas and SC Early Learning Standards for Pre-kindergarten, ECC multiage Montessori learning environments support the personalization of learning through five learning areas: Language, Math, Sensorial, Practical Life, and Science/Art/Culture. Our building is designed to allow maximum independence of children while guarding safety above all. Early childhood learning environments foster curiosity, independence, and self-sufficiency through inquiry-based learning, such as classroom gardens and other engaging activities, while also supporting the development of strong social-emotional skills in young children. 

All 5K students are assessed through the state Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). The KRA determines each child’s readiness level by evaluating four domains: Social Foundations, Language/Literacy, Mathematics, and Physical Well-Being.  The KRA provides a snapshot of each student’s abilities at the beginning of the school year.  For Fall 2025, approximately 41% of ECC students scored as Demonstrating Readiness, indicating that they demonstrate foundational skills and behaviors that prepare them for a curriculum based on kindergarten standards. Thirty-two percent of ECC students scored Approaching Readiness, which means a student demonstrates some foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her for a curriculum based on kindergarten standards. Twenty-seven percent of ECC students scored Emerging Readiness, indicating a student demonstrates minimal foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her for a curriculum based on kindergarten standards.

In the fall, winter, and spring of this school year, all 5K students were assessed through state-required literacy measurements, iReady. The percentage of students meeting and exceeding grade-level expectations increased from 16% to 76%. Teachers use this information to guide instruction, personalize learning, and monitor the growth of individual students.

The Lexington Four Early Childhood Center partners with the University of South Carolina as a Professional Development School (PDS). Through this partnership, the ECC works closely with the College of Education to strengthen instruction and support for multilingual learners.

Using an Inquiry Lab model, university faculty collaborates with teachers through classroom visits, small-group instruction, modeling effective teaching strategies, and sharing resources that support language development and student learning. The partnership also provides professional learning opportunities for staff through training sessions, coaching, and access to current research and best practices.

In addition, the collaboration supports efforts to strengthen relationships with multilingual families by creating opportunities for family engagement and home-school connections. Through this work, the ECC continues to build teacher capacity, support student success, and strengthen partnerships among families, schools, and the university.  

The ECC continues to focus our work by living fully into our purpose: to prepare a learning environment that nurtures the whole child while building partnerships with families and the community.

Mrs. Sonya Harrison-Young, Principal

Mrs. Catherine Faulling, School  Improvement Council Chairperson