It is the mission of Hillsboro Early Childhood Programs to facilitate the development of children and to strengthen and support families in their efforts to prepare their children for future school success, using research based, developmentally appropriate methods and fully including all children. 

Your child will benefit from an enriching preschool environment and experience the joys of making new friends, the excitement of learning new skills, and the opportunity to develop independence.  Activities are always aligned with the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards.  Our curriculum is entirely play-based and assessment is authentic in the natural play setting using appropriate practices for preschool age children as outlined by The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, 6th Edition. 

Developmental areas that are focused on in PreK include: Language, Literacy, Cognition, Math, Science, Physical Health & Development, and Social-Emotional Development.  Research shows that young children learn best through play-based hands on experiences.  Your child will have opportunities to develop in each of the core areas primarily though play in a variety of interest areas or learning centers.  These centers include Dramatic Play, Blocks, Sensory Table, Art, Music & Movement, Manipulatives & Games, Science & Discovery, Outdoor Play/Physical Motor, & Cooking.  Play in these areas that are intentionally designed by your child's teacher provides endless learning opportunities for your child both academically and socially.  

In addition to children's academic development, our program places a heavy emphasis on each child's social & emotional health and well-being.  HCUSD#3 has adopted a social-emotional curriculum called "Choose Love" that we will be implementing in our classrooms to help children develop an awareness of their own emotions and feelings, as well as coping strategies.  In addition to Choose Love, our PreK program is trained in the Conscious Discipline Model.  Conscious Discipline creates a compassionate culture and facilitates shift in adult understanding of children's behavior. It then provides strategies for responding to each child's individual needs with wisdom. This approach is proven to increase self-regulation, sense of safety, connection, empathy and intrinsic motivation in both children and adults.

Click on these links to learn more about the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, The Creative Curriculum, Choose Love, or Conscious Discipline.