Early Childhood Overview

Early Childhood Screenings

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 Prairie Trails School. Screenings  will be held on Thursdays and are scheduled once a month through May. 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.

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 Spanish and Polish translation.

Para hacer una cita en Español, por favor llame a Ms. Santiago o Ms. Perez 224-612-7402/7403.

If you are unsure if your child is developing appropriately, please consult with your child's preschool teacher or pediatrician for advice.

District 26 Program Descriptions

Bilingual Preschool

River Trails School District offers a transitional Bilingual Spanish program for preschool children ages 3-5. 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 4 days a week, AM or PM sessions.
A free bus is provided from the student's home school (Euclid or Indian Grove ) to Prairie Trails and back to the school at dismissal.

All children who attend this program must be screened first for language proficiency.  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 Prairie Trails and ask to speak to Ms. Buelvas or Mrs. Rodriguez. Para hacer una cita en Español, por favor llame a Ms. Buelvas 224-612-7457.

Early Childhood Preschool Program

River Trails School District 26 offers a tuition-based preschool program for typically developing 3 and 4 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: Creative Curriculum Overview.pdf

  •  All classes are held at Prairie Trails School
  •  A.M. Session: 9:00-11:30 a.m.          PM Session: 1:00- 3:30 p.m.
  •  Classes meet four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. There are no classes on Thursdays.
  •  Tuition is $2,500.00 per year plus a 50.00 snack fee.  Payments may be spread over 10 months.
  •  Children MUST be toilet trained.

We have a limited number of spots available for tuition students. Please call Prairie Trails Principal Amy Veytsman at 224-612-7800 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.