Area parents can send their at-risk kids to preschool
Carol Pemberton's 3-year-old son Steven started attending a free preschool for at-risk children one month ago -- and she can already see the difference in him.
"On Sunday night, knowing there's school the next morning, he says, 'I want to go now,' " Pemberton said.
Pemberton's son, who has a fine motor delay, is one of a few dozen children who attend the preschool offered by the Children's Home and Aid Society at the Tom Thumb Community Child Care Center in Carpentersville.
The program, which coincides with the school year, is open to parents in the area who have kids between the ages of 3 and 5 who may be at risk for developing special needs.
Factors that can qualify a child for the program include low birth weight, fine motor delays, low income and a single-parent household.
The preschool was originally open only to parents in Community Unit District 300, but because of low enrollment, it is now a resource for any parents of at-risk preschoolers in the area.
Even with the preschool's open-door policy, the small program has been unable to fill all of its 40 spots.
"We are not having enough parents recognizing the significance of having a 3-year-old in the program," said Winnie Wiegel, one of two teachers in the preschool.
The preschool program in Carpentersville helps at-risk children prepare for the academic and social challenges of kindergarten programs that have gradually become more difficult, Wiegel said.
"In kindergarten, the expectations are so much higher … not just developmentally, but emotionally as well," Wiegel said.
The Carpentersville preschool helps children meet those expectations by tailoring teaching to kids' specialized needs and using playtime as an educational tool.
In a typical day at the preschool, kids might use Matchbox cars to practice counting and learn the concepts of length, gravity, weight and speed.
"You're incorporating math, physics, anything you can, through the world of play," Wiegel said.
Pemberton said her son's learning isn't limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
"He's learning a lot of self-help skills that I have had trouble teaching him," Pemberton said. "When he goes there, it's like he becomes a different child."
Wiegel expressed concern that the preschool may have fewer opportunities for local children in the future if more parents don't take advantage of the program.
"Early childhood (programs) have mostly been looked at as just caretakers," Wiegel said. "We're not just caretakers, but educators."
If you're interested in applying for a spot in the program, call the preschool at (847) 426-2211 or visit the Children's Home and Aid Society at www.chasi.org.
jnaqvi@dailyherald.com