Oak Lawn-Hometown Preschool
Our Vision is to provide a high-quality preschool education for all children in an inclusive community where each child and family belongs and flourishes.
Our preschool classrooms serve a mixture of students of various ages and abilities. Services such as speech and occupational therapy are provided within the classroom for eligible students. Research has shown that both children with disabilities and children who are typically developing benefit from inclusive settings.
Classroom Offerings
Our programs offer diversity of experience and knowledge in preliteracy, mathematics, science, social emotional development and social skills experiences through learning centers, field experience and hands-on activities. Music and movement are important for the devlelopment of the whole child and their self-esteem.
Some placements will be fee-based and others will be need-based and district funded. Placement into these programs will depend upon your screening results.
Fee-based placements require a one-month deposit to secure your enrollment. In addition, there will be an Out-of-District fee equal to 10% of the annual tuition due at the time of registration for any family living outside the boundaries of School District 123 (Sward location only). Child must be 3 years of age by December 31, 2023, and potty-trained to register.
Monday through Friday
AM (8:40 - 11:10 am) or
PM (12:40 - 3:10 pm)
$275/month if fee-based
Monday through Friday
AM (8:40 - 11:10 am) or
PM (12:40 - 3:10 pm)
$275/month if fee-based
Monday through Friday
AM (8:40 - 11:10 am) or
PM (12:40 - 3:10 pm)
$275/month if fee-based
2 Yr 9 mo old AM Session
Tuesday/Thursday
8:40 – 11:10 am
$143/month
3 year-old PM session
Tuesday/Thursday
12:40 – 3:10 pm
$143/month
4 year-old Full Day session
Monday through Friday
8:40 – 3:10 pm
$552/month
3 year-old AM session
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
8:40 – 11:10 am
$176/month
4 year-old PM session
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
12:40 – 3:10 pm
$176/month
Monday through Friday
AM (8:40 - 11:10 am) or
PM (12:40 - 3:10 pm)
$275/month if fee-based
Prospective Families
Step 1: Please complete a new student application here! A member of the Early Childhood Department will be contacting you shortly to discuss the screening process and let you know your next steps.
Step 2: Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 conducts regular screenings of children from 3 to 5 years of age. The children will be screened in the developmental areas of concepts, self-help, social and emotional development, fine motor and gross motor skills, problem solving and speech & language. Early childhood professionals will present play-based activities that will assess developmental skills. Screening results will be reviewed with the family. All preschoolers who reside in the Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 boundaries can participate in screenings free of charge. Please complete a screening request form to start the process.
Step 3: Prior to enrollment, all families must provide a school physical and income verification documents. If your child is determined eligible for our program, based on availability, he or she will either be placed immediately or put on an enrollment waiting list. The waiting list is based on weighted eligibility criteria and student needs.
To contact a member of the Early Childhood Department directly, please call or email Christine Fuller at (708) 952-7797 or Kim Blitek at (708) 423-8363.
In person preschool screenings take place at Kolmar Avenue Elementary School located at 10425 South Kolmar Avenue in Oak Lawn.
Your appointment will last approximately one hour. Your child’s language, motor, social-emotional, and pre-academic readiness skills will be assessed by a team of teachers and therapists. A school nurse will also conduct a vision/hearing screening. These screenings help to determine if there are any areas of concern in your child’s development, if follow-up or further evaluations are needed. All results will be shared with you during an exit interview immediately following the screening.
Residency within District 123 boundaries must be proven prior to screenings. Please complete a screening request form to start the process.
Screening Dates 2022-2023
- 8/17/22
- 9/7/22
- 10/5/22
- 12/7/22
- 2/1/23
- 3/1/23
- 5/3/23
- 6/2/23
Curriculum and Educational Approach
Our approach to curriculum is guided by the fundamental understanding that children learn best through play and hands-on experiences. We use the Creative Curriculum and follow the Illinois Early Learning Standards as the framework for the preschool program, with a project-based learning approach, guided by Teaching Strategies Gold assessments and other data we collect throughout the day. The curriculum is designed to assist with the portfolio/assessment component of our preschool program. The instruction is individualized, scaffolded, and always centered around the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL). Our SEL framework stems from the Pyramid Model and is supplemented with Second Step Curriculum.
Each teacher holds a Professional Educator License certified by the Illinois State Board of Education, with an Early Childhood Special Education Approval, and an EL endorsement. All classrooms are supported by one teacher and a teacher's assistant. We have students with a higher-level of needs in 4 of our 5 classrooms with an extra paraprofessional. In the classroom, support staff includes the following related service staff: speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, and social worker.
To learn more about Early Learning Standards (English) (Spanish)
Early Intervention Transition to Preschool
If your child is receiving Early Intervention services and it is suspected that your child might have a disability a transition plan is established between the early intervention agency and District 123 in order to provide appropriate services without interruption when the child turns three. For more information, please review the Family Transition Workbook.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
Designed to provide specialized instruction and support for children with disabilities with a variety of educational and developmental needs. Placement and services are determined through the development of a child’s Individualized Education Plan. (IEP)
The role of a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the public schools is to conduct screenings, assessments, and therapy for students with potential or identified communication delays and disorders which adversely impact their ability to learn. In the preschool classroom, the SLP's role is to also consult with teachers and classroom assistants to create a language-rich environment conducive to communication development, as well as to train staff with communication tools and strategies for use with students in the classroom.
Areas of Communications that we work on include:
- Articulation and Phonology: ability to procuce age-appropriate sounds and sequences in speech
- Receptive Language: ability to understand spoken language, including vocabulary, basic concepts, etc.
- Expressive Language: ability to verbalize thoughts and ideas; includes vocabulary, sentence formulation, and grammar
- Pragmatics: understanding and using non-verbal rules and conventions of communication (e.g., eye contact, taking turns, staying on topic, etc.)
- Fluency: ability to speak without excessive repetitions, stopping, blocking, or interjections
- Voice: ability to vocalize clearly with appropriate pitch and volume
English as a Second Language (ESL)
To assist students who are not native speakers, Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 has established the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. It is designed to develop the students English proficiency, providing them with both the skills and confidence they need to participate fully in school and the community. The ESL program is supported by a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education.
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