GENERAL INFORMATION
The first days / weeks of Preschool are a big step for you and your child to take and often the first social setting your child may be in without a parent / guardian. Being adequately prepared for this milestone is key to your child’s success and transition. To make the transition a little easier you may want to try some of the suggestions below:
- Read picture books about school to help lessen apprehensions and help your child develop positive feelings about school.
- Enroll in a special activities prior to Preschool that are designed to gradually ease your child towards independence and get used to structured activities such as playing with others, sharing and following directions on a small scale.
- Attend library story times, social or special events where other young children are present.
- Allow your child to explore with art tools (markers, scissors, paint, chalk etc.) to create beyond a coloring book. They are too young to color in the lines.
- Have your child start writing their name (or recognizing the letters in order of their name in print).
- Allow your child to try putting on their own coat, shoes and carrying their belongings (such as a backpack) – it creates independence and builds self-esteem.
- Take advantage of opportunities to leave your child in a safe environment without you (such as with a grandparent or babysitter) for a short period of time.
- When leaving your child in care of others, do not linger. Your child can easily pick up on your hesitation or anxiety. Tell your child you will return and give them a reassuring hug and walk away.
- Give your child opportunities to speak for themselves so as to be able to express their thoughts to others. If you speak multiple languages in your home, begin speaking and having your child speak English so that your child can be understood and is able to express themselves to others (they will not lose their home/primary language). Being on their own without you is sometime unsettling to a child and it only complicates the situation if they cannot understand or communicate with the teachers or other children.
- Toilet independence is required to start in Preschool. Practicing self-help skills (including wiping with toilet paper on their own) to master this process before school begins will lead to positive self – esteem. Pull ups and diapers may NOT be worn in or during class.
Parent Handbook
DCFS Handbook
Frequently Asked Questions
What We Do in Preschool
Developmental Profile 3-year-old
Developmental Profile 4-year-old
Illinois Standards
RESOURCES
Preschool Curriculum
Our Preschool program’s goal is to prepare each child for entering Kindergarten and beyond with the necessary skills to succeed. We strongly believe that each child should be given the tools and resources that will enable them to do things for themselves through hands on activities and experiences. We achieve this by providing each child the opportunity to grow at their own pace in large and small groups as well as one on one. Our teachers create lessons that incorporate the skills to master achievable age appropriate goals. To you and the average person, it may appear that “all they do is play”, however, to a child, the best way to learn is through play.
Handwriting / Letter Recognition and Math / Number Recognition
We use many resources to develop handwriting and math skills by incorporating hands-on, multisensory materials that are designed in such a way that introduces shapes, numbers, and letters in an order that matches the progression of a children’s developmental abilities so that it is easier for them to practice, learn, and remember. It is very important for your child to continue many of these practices at home with you on a regular basis. Mastering skills takes lots of practice and reinforcement. Once a child masters a skill- it makes them want to learn more- it’s like climbing the mountain of success!
We utilize an array of resources such as but not limited to: Handwriting (Learning) without Tears; Handwriting / Numbers Galore; TPT; A-Z Handwriting NO PREP and so much more. Our 4 year old / Pre-K programs are even beginning to learn sight words for early beginning reading prep (these are words commonly seen such as “a, to, the, and, at, go, be, can, etc.). We follow the Illinois Early Learning Developmental Standards (which are located below) in planning our lesson plans appropriately for each age group.
Capital Formation Chart
Hold My Crayon
Landscape Print Ready
Lower Case Letter Formation
Mat Man
Number Formation Chart
Paper Letter Pieces
Show Me My Name
Informational Preschool Resources
Before School
Beginning Reading
Developmental Learning Concepts
First Steps to Acknowledging Child’s Fears
Give Me Five
Independence and Success in Life
Learning Styles
Philosophy of Learning
Potty Training Cheat Sheet
Reveal the Hidden Math
Speech & Language Development
Parent Resource Link
“W” Sitting
Benefits to Cutting with Scissors
How to Hold My Pencil – Proper Grip
