Preschool

The Child Care Center of Evanston is a full-day preschool program serving children ages 2-1/2 to 5 years. The Center is located at the corner of Emerson and Asbury in a turn-of-the-century house. Our program offers a warm and nurturing environment that enhances the development of young children. We offer four conventional preschool classrooms as well as a classroom based on the Montessori method.

Philosophy

Using Piaget’s “learning through play” theory as a base, Child Care Center teachers strive to provide hands on experiences where children actively participate in play and exploration to introduce basic reading, math, science and language concepts. A wide variety of art, music, dramatic and motor skills activities provides the diverse experiences children need to help them develop confidence in themselves while learning to appreciate the world around them.

The Center’s developmental program encourages the growth of each child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical abilities. Age-appropriate experiences at each level help children interact with their peers and adults, use their creativity and curiosity, develop problem-solving and thinking skills, and build positive self-concepts. Through the Center’s carefully balanced program of independent play and structured activities, children explore their world within the safe, loving and supportive surroundings of the Child Care Center.

In keeping with the Center’s educational philosophy that children learn best through active participation in activities, teachers also encourage children to become responsible for their own actions. By setting limits and allowing children to make choices about their actions, children learn to control and to accept responsibility for their own behavior. Children are encouraged to “use their words” to resolve conflicts in the classroom. By stressing use of verbal expression, teachers help children learn to talk about their feelings and work out their own problems.