Looking for Preschool Programs

Have you tried Chalk Preschool located near North and Halsted. My daughter did a 2 year old program there and it was real good.

Hi M.,
I can enthusiastically recommend Rogers Park Montessori School, which is not that near Lincoln Park but is a wonderful educational home that we loved for our two sons. The faculty is responsible and creative; they will work with the language issue and integrating him into the group. It is at Bryn Mawr and Ravenswood -- not that far! Take a look! Or at least give the Montessori approach a try -- self-paced, self-directed, good for boys and other independent creatures.

Best wishes,
S. Figliulo

Hello, My daughter attends St. Helen's school in Ukranian Village. This is a great school and my daughter really enjoys going there. There is a dramatic increase in enrollment and they chose to open another preschool classroom. I think that they have some open spots. Give them a call and set up a tour. The principal's name is Marianne Johnson. If you have any questions, let me know.

Jen

St. Helen's School

###-###-####

2347 W Augusta Blvd, Chicago, IL

Hi! I recently attended a talk given by CPS regarding pre-school programs, and it is my understanding that legally in Illinois all children over 3 are entitled to attend a pre-school program. It is part of the No Child Left Behind initiative. As long as your child is 3 by September 1st of that school year and is potty-trained, your neighborhood school MUST accept him.

Are you trying to get him in too early? I know you said he is 3 1/2, but was he 3 by last September 1st? If not, then this may be the root of your problem. Try again this fall - he will for sure be accepted to his neighborhood school this September. I am assuming he is potty-trained, so perhaps the issue is that you do not like your neighborhood school? If this is the case, I would urge you to enroll him at this point anyway - sounds like you've tried other programs that you prefer and they aren't working out. At this point, your neighborhood program would be better than no program at all.

Good luck! And don't fret - your son WILL attend preschool, just perhaps not the pre-school that is #1 on your list. Check out CPS website for more info or contact their offices - the woman who spoke to us was named Ellen Lorden and she is very very knowledgeable. I'm sure CPS can put you in touch with her for more information too. : )

Hello,
We have attended classes at Tuesday's Child for almost a year now. I'd call them and see if they have a spot. They're great with helping kids to learn how to act and behave socially. They're number is ###-###-####. They're located at 4028 W Irving Park Rd. I believe they charge $40 a class and the classes run from 9:30-12.
Also, check your local park district. Most parks offer two day pre-K programs, but they have to be potty trained. I hope this is helpful.
Blessings,
J.

The park district has some programs for different age groups. Some of the programs, like the play group, you stay with your child, and other programs are drop off. Check out the website for locations, and then go to the actual location to talk to one of the park employees. They should be able to offer some more information on the programs and help you decide.
Good luck!

I see someone already suggested Concordia - that's where my daughter has been for a year (Seeley campus) and we have had a very good experience. Definitely check it out and see if it is right for you. There is no waiting list, they take kids at any time of the year, and offer flexible schedules (halfdays, 3 days/week, options to adjust things for summer).
Good luck!

Try JCYS Family Center at Grace and Sheffield. they have a wonderful program...a real preschool, not just babysitting...

I don't know much about the program but I've heard good things about CHALK in Lincoln Park and I think you can just sign up (if they have space - vs. having to apply).

Also - it may take time and be tough at first but your son WILL pick up English and get comfortable with peers in the class. It just takes some time and can be painful at first!

Good luck!

Hi-
My daughter goes to the Chicago Waldorf School in Rogers Park and we love it. They have a small 3 yr old program and when my daughter was in that class there were twins who did not speak English when they started and did great. We actually moved from Lakeview to live closer to the school! Good luck.

did you try concordia? you may have to wait till september, but they may have a spot for your son and have LOTS of bilingual kids (mostly hispanic, but other languages as well and therefore have a lot of experience drawing kids out of their "shells"). they have 2 locations: one at 3855 n seeley (north of grace and west of damen) and one at 3300 (?) n whipple in the avondale neighborhood. i worked at the seeley location before my daughter was born... the website is:
www.concordia-avondale.org
they are committed to working with the community and providing very high quality child care at affordable prices. they are one of the only NAEYC accredited preschools that work on a sliding scale tuition schedule. i'd check out the website and give it a try. at least when i worked there, they tended to have openings in september as their big kids went off to kindergarten.

good luck!
--B.

For two years, my daughter went to a place called ELF (Educational Learning Foundation, if I'm remembering correctly), which is near Clark and North. The actual location is at the foot of one of the Sandburg highrise buildings. The driveway made it easy to drop off and pick up. ELF is run by Manira Weathers, a wonderful woman who is originally from Venezuela. There is another Spanish-speaking staff member there, Flora. The school makes Spanish a regular part of the curriculum for English-speakers, so I'm sure your son would do fine. When my daughter attended a couple years ago (she's entering first grade this fall), there was an international group of preschoolers - kids from places like Germany and Spain. I don't know what attracts these foreign-born kids (and their parents) to the school, but I was glad for the diversity. The teachers are all patient and warm. Especially Ms. Janice, whose group is the 4-5 year-olds. And the cost was reasonable, something like $200 a week for full days, five days a week. If you can't find their website online, please contact me, and I will go through my records for their phone number.

I know that Our Lady of Lourdes (on Western, near Montrose) and Mount Carmel Academy (on Belmont), have pre-K programs, and I think they both currently have room. Also, here's the link to the Chicago Public Schools Pre-K programs: http://www.ecechicago.org/

Good luck!
M.