Early Childhood Overview

EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENINGS 2018-19
RTSD26 offers preschool screenings to all district 3 and 4 year olds suspected of having a developmental delay.  In addition, we will also be screening students to see if they are eligible for the ECDEC preschool program or our Bilingual Spanish Preschool program. To be eligible for these programs, families must meet specific criteria, such as speaking a second language in the home, income level, or other criteria that can be explained to you at the screening.
If you are concerned that your child has a delay in vision, hearing, motor, speech, language, cognition and/or social functioning, call 224-612-7308 to set up a screening time. All screenings are done by appointment only and will take place at the River Trails Early Learning Center at Parkview. Screenings  will be held on Thursdays at either 9:30 AM or 12:30 PM and are scheduled once a month through April. Be prepared to be here for at least 2 hours. There is NO child care for younger siblings; we ask that you make arrangements for them as they may distract from the screening process.
2018-19 screening dates: (Thursdays)
September 13, October 11, November 08, December 13, January 10, February 14, March 14 and April 18. If your child will turn three in the summer of 2019 (June, July or August)  please call and make an appointment for the next available screening  well in advance. 224-612-7308
 Your child must be at least 3 years old at the time of screening.  A birth certificate  and proof of residency is required before your child can be screened. A parent or guardian must stay the entire time with the child. We offer limited Spanish and Polish translation, and ask if you or your child do not speak English that you bring someone with you that may help during the screening time.
 Para hacer una cita en Español, por favor llame a Ms. Kagan 224-612-7301
If you are unsure if your child is developing appropriately, please consult with your child's preschool teacher or pediatrician for advice. The Center for Disease Control offers the following information: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

 DISTRICT 26 PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Bilingual Preschool 2017-18
River Trails School District offers a transitional Bilingual Spanish program for preschool children ages 3-5. The class will be held at the River Trails Early Learning Center at Parkview beginning in fall 2017. This class is offered to those students who speak Spanish at home and have limited English skills. Academic content is taught primarily in Spanish and the goal is for children to become fluent in their native language as they gradually transition into English. Additionally, we like to inform parents that there is an expectation of continuation into our Bilingual Kindergarten and first grade program after preschool so children can become fully fluent in their native language. This is a tuition-free program and meets 5 days a week, AM or PM sessions.
A free bus is provided from the student's home school (Euclid or Indian Grove ) to the ELC at Parkview and back to the school at dismissal.
All children who attend this program must be screened first for language proficiency. Screening dates are the same as above:
September 22, October 20, November 10, December 15,January 19, February 16, March 16. 
Parents must present a birth certificate AND proof of residency at the time of screening. If you do not have the correct documents we cannot screen your child. 
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Euclid School and ask to speak to Ms. Buelvas or Mrs. Rodriguez. Para hacer una cita en Español, por favor llame a Ms. Buelvas 224-612-7410 HASTA 6/6/17
Después 6/6/17 llame a Ms Kagan 224-612-7301

Early Childhood Preschool Program
River Trails School District 26 offers a tuition-based preschool program for typically developing 3 and four year old children who reside within our district. Our unique, integrated services program combines our special education preschool along with a regular preschool to offer a curriculum based on the Illinois Early Learning Standards. The Early Childhood program is staffed by specialized teachers, classroom assistants, and a speech-language therapist. A school psychologist, school social worker, and occupational therapist also work on the team and in the classrooms. Typically developing students benefit from the wide range of activities that focus on emergent literacy and kindergarten readiness. Check out our new Curriculum here Creative Curriculum Overview.pdf
  • All classes are held at The River Trails Early Learning Center at Parkview
  • A.M. Session: 8:30-11:00 AM PM Session: 12:00- 2:30
  • Classes meet 5 days a week, Monday- Friday
  • Cost: 2017-18  tuition is $2,450.00 per year- plus a 50.00 snack fee-a payment plan is available.
  • Children MUST be toilet trained.
We have a limited number of spots available for tuition students. Due to increased interest in our program, a lottery may be held his year to determine student placement in our program. Please call Mrs. Veytsman at 224-612-7501 for information.

ECDEC- Early Childhood Development Enrichment Center
ECDEC serves our District 26 resident children through a state funded grant. ECDEC provides high quality, engaging classroom instruction for 3 and 4 year old children who may be considered at risk in areas such as: poverty level, family structure, second language and other factors. Screening for the ECDEC program is done at the same time and schedule as all of our district programs. Please call 224-612-7308 if you wish to have your child screened. All children must be 3 or 4 at the time of screening.
ECDEC classes will be held at the River Trails Early Learning Center at Parkview beginning in Fall 2017. A free bus will be provided from your child's home school to the ELC at Parkview.