Six classrooms, one for each age from six weeks through kindergarten, plus summer camp for children 2 to 5. Each page below has the ratio, a sample daily schedule, what your child will learn, and the questions parents ask most about that room.
Our infant room holds eight babies with two teachers, and each baby is assigned a primary teacher who does most of their feeding, diapering and soothing. That is the person who will learn your baby's cues and the person you will talk to at drop-off and pickup.
Toddlers want to do everything themselves, and the toddler room is set up to let them. Shelves are low, sinks are toddler height, and there is room to climb, push, carry and dump.
Two-year-olds are ready for a real classroom: a morning meeting, learning centers they choose from, and a daily routine they can predict. The pace is still gentle, with plenty of time outside and a long nap.
Preschool is where letters, numbers and friendships all come together. Children work in small groups with a teacher on letter sounds and counting, then choose from centers: blocks, writing, science, dramatic play, art and the library.
Pre-K is the year before kindergarten, and the day is built to look more like one: longer work periods, a job chart, journals and small-group reading. Our goals follow the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, which is what kindergartens in School District 54 expect children to arrive with.
Kindergarten at Ashford is a full school day in a small class, in the building your child already knows. Mornings are for reading, writing and math in small groups. Afternoons are for science, projects, art, music and time outside.
Summer camp runs through the summer for children 2 to 5 years old. Each week has a theme, and children spend a lot more of the day outside: water play, garden time, games and walks.
Tell us your child's birthday and when you need care to start. We will tell you which room they would join and what is open.