Preschool in the City!

Smart Love Family Services is opening a new preschool in February. My son is too old now to go, but I would send him there if he was younger. I have come to realize that for preschool children, it is most important that their "emotional" needs are met. The education will come, that will not be a problem. It is most important that the preschoolers learn in a positive environment with a caring teacher. They are having an open house on November 19:

http://www.smartlovepreschool.org/preschool.php

If you want more information about Smart Love Family Services you can find it here:

http://www.smartlovefamily.org/smart_love.php

I don't have a specific recommendation, but you can find top-notch preschools at www.naeyc.org. NAEYC daycares and preschools must meet pretty stringent requirements and are considered top notch. You can search for places by ZIP code, and at the very least it'll give you a list of places to go visit. Good luck!

I have been incredibly happy with our SECOND preschool. We started out in Montessori, and while I think my son had FUN, and I liked the teacher very much, the whole concept is that the kids decide what they want to do during the day. They are supposed to learn what they're most "open" to learning at that point in time.
Great concept, loved the idea, but my son didn't appear to be actually learning much. Of course, who knows how much he picked up? So hard to say.

We have now enrolled him at Creative Scholars Preschool, which is on Elston between North Avenue and Armitage, which is pretty close for you. WE LOVE IT. It is a private school with no church affiliation. Every single day we're sent home with actual things my son worked on: paintings, tiny pieces of paper from practicing cutting with scissors, coloring sheets, paper strips with letters he wrote in a row, etc. He's just turned 3 (2 weeks before school started) and is learning to write his name and spell short words already. They have a note with lesson plans each day so you know what the kids are talking about in class. I'm thrilled. They get music and foreign language (not just the usual Spanish, other languages, too) as well as the standard art. He has been there since the beginning of September and now knows the days of the week and months of the year. It's only been two months! There are just so many things I'm happy with, not the least of which is how small the classes are (my child's class has 8 kids).

They have an INDOOR playground, so the kids get to play all winter with no coats, and we don't lose that important running around time when it rains. (The indoor space could be a negative, as well, since they don't do much outside when it's warm out, but I figure I take my kids to the park myself when it's nice, and I'd rather be assured he gets to let out some energy while he's at school all winter!)
And they also have indoor parking for drop off and pick up, again a huge benefit during nasty weather.

Check out their website and if you take a tour, please tell them Ryan's mom (A.) referred you. Both directors (Mary and Lisa) know my son & I, they're actively in the classroom with the other teachers, not holed up in an office all day. I get a referral credit. But I would do it for free, too. :) Feel free to contact me with any questions, we've been so happy with our school choice!

Oh, and they do offer full AND half days (morning or afternoon), and the choice of 2, 3 or 5 day a week, so it is very flexible which you were looking for. We only do half days, it's a nice transition for a younger child if you don't HAVE to use full day because of your work schedule. (I realize you're a SAHM - I am, too - but other people will read this post that are not.) The full day kids (and morning half days) get an amazing hot catered lunch. It's all organic everything. Those kids are getting a better lunch than I am! LOL!

Last, you said you were looking to start in September, but as your pregnancy progresses, you may find that you would like a break from your 3 year old sooner than next fall. It's tiring having a baby with another young one to watch. Another benefit to Creative Scholars is they have year-round enrollment, so you can start anytime after your child is potty trained (and older than 2-1/2 which yours already is). When we started looking at preschools so many of them had December or January application deadlines for the FOLLOWING fall, it amazed me. I still applied months in advance for our spot at CSP because I wanted to be assured of my choice of days and morning or afternoon, but if you're more flexible about the days/times, you can apply and start the next day. Trust me, a few months into your pregnancy this could be very appealing. Best of luck to you!

Christopher Columbus in Ukie Village(Leavitt and Augusta!) it's a free CPS school! I cannot say enough good things about it!! My 3.5 year old daughter attends and I am impressed everyday with what she is learning. Teachers are Ms. Brenkus and Ms. Maribel. Apply ASAP so you can get in next year. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me. Again...I LOVE the school and the experience my daughter is having!

The Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue (and Chestnut/Delaware) has an excellent preschool that we loved. Its called the Day School and is affiliated with the church but is not religious at all. At age 3, you have the option of everyday from 9 - 11:45 a.m. or 3 days/week from 1 - 3:30 p.m. They have a playbased philosophy and do encourage letters, numbers, etc. if the child is interested. It is THE warmest most nurturing environment you will ever find for your child - the teachers and the director are just amazing. My 4 year old went there and I'll send my 1 year old when its time. Good luck!

PS: The NAEYC recommendation was a good one...they have strict guidelines so you can definitely trust a preschool that they approve. The Day School is accredited with them...

I have heard great things about near north montessori. My 2 1/2 yr old goes to a toddler montessori program in river forest at a place called Mosaic Montessori and she loves it. We were originally enrolled in Alcuin montessori in Oak Park but I didn't really like it much and found it far too rigid and not very accommodating of single parents or those with varying family structures. I very much like the educational method with its self direction and very calm style. It certainly has helped my little one with her somewhat rambunctious behavior. She is certainly learning a lot and generally children taught in that method learn a lot more than those taught by other methods. Some might like a little more play based program. It somewhat depends on what your little one is getting at home. My nanny does lots of physical activity eg. parks etc with my little one and i read a lot of books with her and we do sounds and letter fun games a lot, so I like the montessori as a balance to the other activities. There are some more academic preschools that concentrate more on "learning". A good deal of research in early childhood development suggests that pushing such learning too young can really be negative in the long run and not really promote life long enthusiasm for learning and education. Good luck.

Alcuin Montessori School in Oak Park is great. A 3 year old would go m-f 8:30-11:30. There is a car drop-off, and there are quite a few families that travel from wicker park, south loop etc.

We live in Ravenswood and our girls have attended Montessori since they were 3. They started in Evanston at Chiaravalle and are now at Rogers Park Montessori here in Ravenswood. Near North Montessori is on North Avenue. They are all accredited and are good schools. Start early, because it's hard to find a good private school in the city if you like Montessori it's best to get them in early. If not you don't need to worry about being accredited Montessori too much for the the 3-6 program. It is an excellent learning pre-school, not just a play place. Good luck.

Hi, M.,

I cannot overstate my recommendation of Rogers Park Montessori, which is now in Edgewater, at Ravenswood and Bryn Mawr. It's a schlep but so worthwhile. Both my sons had a wonderful experience attending all three years -- through kindergarten, which can be a problem if you are heading to CPS -- but nonetheless such a great foundation. Their primary teacher was Nancy Buik, who may still be there and was exceptionally good with boys. Kristen Mark also taught both my boys, who could not be more different from one another! But I trusted RPMS and it was by far the best educational experience of their lives. (They are now 24 and 20! omg!!!) Please feel free to write me if you'd like to discuss. I believe a child's first educational experience is of paramount importance.
Best regards,
Mama S.

Hi M.
My Daughter goes to Pilgrim Lutheran Church & School, their preschool if fantastic. Mrs. Ruppe is the best teacher, she is top notch when it comes to working with and teaching the children. She does Morning preschool which is 4 year olds and afternoon preschool for 3 year olds. My Daughter is now in Kindergarten with Mrs Halter who is also fantastic!! I believe there is a waiting list but do check into it, it's well worth it.

Good Luck

V.

Both of my kids have gone to Kindercare in the South Loop. My kids LOVE all the teachers and the teachers really seem to have a genuine affection for each of their kids as well. The "front desk" people (director, asst director, etc.) are all very nice, too. My sons class goes to a music class twice a week to help them learn different skills (letters, numbers, rhythm, etc.) and starting at three they start a phonics class. My daughter is no longer at the school, but she loved phonics with Miss Donna. She still comes back to school to pick up her brother and begs me each day to go see her old teachers (who are more than happy to spend time talking and hugging her when she stops by!) They also have an awesome summer program that my daughter is excited to return for. My ONLY issue with the school is parking can be a pain if you pick up or drop off at peak times.

Now, if you are waiting until your son is 4...my daughter now goes to Daystar School for Kindergarten. It is a Christian-based school. We LOVE it and they just started a pre-K class this year that seems to be going really well. The great thing about this school is how caring the teachers and staff are. My daughter did not have an uneasy transition to a new school at all. They use the city as a teaching tool as well - my daughter has gone on 8 Learning Excursions already this school year to help them learn their units of study. Also, they have after school care which isn't normally offered once kids go to big-kid school. This doesn't seem to be something you need right now, but may be something you will love in the future. They also offer after school classes for the kids to do - my daughter does Karate once per week after school rather than having to take her somewhere off site on my own time.

If you are interested in more info on either of the above, please let me know. I am very happy with both.

Hello,
We're on the northside and send our almost-3 year old daughter to Chicago Montessori at Paulina/Cullom. It's just half days now, and eventually she'll go full days (8:30-3... right now it's 8:30-11:30 every day). It's small (two classrooms) and we are loving the teachers and how the school is run. I don't think it's horribly difficult to get in to, but you do need to touch base with them and apply, as there's an interview process (for you, not your child). Because it's Montessori, they ask for a 3 year commitment (3-6 year olds), and they plan to expand to a full elementary. Based on how this year is going, we definitely plan to keep our daughter there. The personal attention is really wonderful and our daughter loves it and can't wait to go everyday. It's probably the only private school we could afford in the city, but now that we're a part of their community, it's the only one that I've seen that I want my child to attend because of the diversity of parents and the teaching staff. Hope that helps!
Jen

Greetings! St. Benedict at Irving Park and Western has an excellent preschool program. They have 8 classrooms, you can pick any combination of 3 or 5 days. They have a 1/2 day option (8:00-12) which includes a hot lunch or a full day option(8-2:30) which includes a nap. The teachers are excellent and classrooms are in a new air-conditioned building! It is a great program; you can come in for a tour on Tuesdays (call for an appointment first). Spots fill up quickly, so I would fill out an application soon!

We were very happy with Concordia Place at Byron and Seeley. They have a terrific program, excellent staff, and a sliding scale for tuition based on household income. Our son is now in first grade at St Benedicts at Western and Irving Park and I've heard excellent things about their preschool as well.

We love Chalk Preschool and have been there since my son turned 2. The Lakeview location is full time, but I believe that their location near Pump It Up has part time programs available.