The services of the Public Preschool Program have been successful in our community since 1990.

The Lakewood Early Childhood Program is funded by the Ohio Department of Education Public Preschool grant, US Department of Education Early Childhood Special Education grant, and local funds. It recruits and admits students of any race, color, disability or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities.

The Lakewood Early Childhood Program follows the Lakewood City School District calendar and is staffed by a Public Preschool teacher, Special Education teacher and two educational assistants.

Classes are composed of eligible 4 year-old Public Preschool students and eligible 3 - 5 year old Early Childhood Special Education students.

PUBLIC PRESCHOOL:

Public Preschool students attend 5 days a week. Each session is 2 1/2 hours.  Breakfast is available at all locations.

Public Preschool students are eligible if they are:

• Lakewood resident
• 4 years old by September 30
• toilet-trained

Assessment is ongoing throughout the school year. The first weeks of each school year, specific assessments are used to determine the needs of each student. Students participate in state mandated testing.

The registration process for eligible students begins in January of the preceding year. Specific eligibility information for Public Preschool is available at (216) 529-4256.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION:

The Early Childhood Special Education program serves children:

• 3 - 5 years old
• With developmental delays, disabilities in cognition, socialization, motor skills, language development, behavioral / emotional growth and/or adaptive behaviors.
• Toilet training is not a requirement for admission

Students receiving special education attend 4 days a week (Monday - Thursday). Each session is 2 1/2 hours. Fridays are dedicated as family service days for Special Education Preschool students.

Early Childhood Special Education eligibility is determined by Lakewood Student Services Department. Specific information is available at (216) 529-4214.

KEY COMPONENTS:

Teachers hold a valid Ohio Teaching License and meet Ohio's requirements for working with Prekindergarten children. Classroom assistants also meet state criteria and are under the direction of the classroom teachers.

Each child's development is discussed during parent teacher conferences and throughout the school year.

Parents are welcome to visit at any time. Parent participation is encouraged to create a home and school connection that benefits each child's academic and social success.

Program instruction is aligned with the Ohio Department of Education Early Learning Content Standards. Children are provided many opportunities to develop necessary academic and social skills and pursue many areas of interest.

Children develop at different rates and have different abilities; all activities are developmentally appropriate which allows children to develop at their own pace.

The Lakewood City School District's Early Childhood Program is founded on the following beliefs:

• Children learn best when activities are developmentally and individually appropriate.

• Children acquire the appreciation of differences in society through the interactions with diverse groups of children and adults.

• Children learn best through play, exploration and discovery.

• The inter-relationship between child, family and school form the core of preschool planning.

• Children must have their basic needs met in order to fully develop their potential. 

• Children acquire citizenship skills through interactions with diverse groups of children and adults.

• In the classroom, the process of an activity is deemed more important than the product.

• Each day the children are encouraged to make their own decisions, communicate their experiences, work with other children and adults and exercise self discipline.