Yorkville CUSD 115 provides a specialized Early Childhood program for students who qualify. Eligibility is based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: developmental needs, family circumstances, and income criteria.  In order to determine program eligibility, children ages 3-5 are invited to participate in our Early Childhood Developmental Screenings.

Program Goals

Our program is designed to meet each child’s needs, interests, and level of development. Through individualized instruction and play-based learning, our Early Childhood program builds social-emotional skills, encourages language development, and provides interventions for children who are experiencing difficulty in achieving age-appropriate developmental milestones.

• To foster development of age-appropriate skills in the areas of language arts, math, science, motor, social/emotional, and behavior as aligned with the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards
• To provide developmentally appropriate activities within a research-based early childhood curriculum using specialized instructional strategies
• To help families understand and support their children’s progress and development
• To coordinate services and provide for a successful transition when planning for future educational needs in the school environment

Entrance Criteria

• A child currently receiving early intervention services may qualify for a school-based evaluation before his/her third birthday. With parent/guardian permission, information pertaining to a child’s early intervention services and reports of his/her development will be provided for consideration for school-based services. District 115 staff collaborates with Child and Family Connections.
• Preschool screenings are offered using a standardized screening instrument to determine whether a child is demonstrating age-appropriate developmental skills. A child who has difficulty completing this screening may be referred for further evaluation in specific developmental domains.
• Further evaluation uses a play-based assessment format and/or standardized assessment tools. A child’s eligibility for special education programs is based on current levels of delay and the extent to which those delays may impact his/her educational setting.
• Special education support may be recommended for children with moderate to significant delays in development. The school-based IEP team recommends services dependent on the child’s assessed educational needs.
• Students can also qualify for Early Childhood through our Preschool for All (PFA) program.  After attending a screening and filling out a family questionnaire, eligibility may be determined based on family need or circumstances.
  
  
  

Available Early Childhood Programs

• Early Childhood Preschool Blended Classroom: This classroom provides preschool instruction to children identified as eligible for special education in a setting that includes limited numbers of children with identified disabilities and their typically developing peers.
• Early Childhood Structured Classrooms: This classroom provides specialized instruction to students who could benefit from a highly structured, centers-based approach teaching social skills and emotional regulation, and providing for specific communication and sensory needs. The program uses a variety of research-based methods to provide each student with an individualized program in a classroom setting.
• Early Childhood STARS Classroom (Skills Training and Related Services): This classroom provides specialized instruction to students who could benefit from a highly structured, centered-based approach teaching social skills and emotional regulation, and providing for specific sensory needs. The program uses a variety of research-based methods to provide each student with an individualized program in a classroom setting.
• Walk-in Speech and Language Services. This program may be recommended for a child with moderate delays in speech and/or language development as the only area of delay. This program is provided in a group setting one or more times per week.

Related services are provided to students in Early Childhood programs according to their IEP.