Purpose

To provide a quality, developmentally appropriate educational program for 3-5 year olds and their families, within the D181 community.

Vision

An innovative program that excels in preparing children for today and tomorrow.

Mission

It is the mission of the District 181 Early Childhood Program to identify and respond to all children’s unique learning needs within a safe and nurturing classroom community. Staff will foster a partnership with families to encourage all children to learn and grow to reach their potential.

Program

District 181’s early childhood program is a blended classroom for 3-5 year old students with and without disabilities. The students are co-taught by two Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) certified early childhood teachers who also hold certification in special education. An integrated service approach is utilized with a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, and Social Worker working within the classroom on a weekly basis. A Certified School Psychologist and English Language Learners (ELL) teacher also work with students and collaborate with the team. In addition to the certified teachers and related service providers, two instructional assistants support the classroom. All of the students’ diverse learning needs are met by having a low student-to-teacher ratio, which provides opportunities for individual and small group attention.

Registration

For information on how to register your child for the Preschool/ECE program, click here.

Curriculum and Learning

The early childhood program uses a curriculum aligned to the Illinois Early Learning Standards and D181 standards. Creative Curriculum Gold provides the framework for a play-based classroom, which is further enriched through the use of literacy based thematic units. Resources that support the curriculum include: Read It Once Again, Handwriting Without Tears (HWT), Jolly Phonics, and Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS). On a daily basis, students participate in large group, small group, and individualized instruction that is developed by the classroom teachers, Occupational Therapist (OT), Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), and Social Worker (SW). In addition, students engage in activities of their choice that are designed to provide opportunities to explore their environment and foster creativity, while teachers scaffold their learning to higher levels.

Services/Resources

Preschool Screening

Preschool screenings are offered on a monthly basis for any child between the ages of three and five to identify children who may not be developing at expected rates and require special education services. If at any time a parent is concerned about their child's rate of development or is suspecting that their child may need special education services they should contact Lisa Halverson at 630-887-1330.

ECE website