Types of Preschools Available

Parents of young kids can often become overwhelmed by the options for early schooling. If you’re one of these parents, or someone who would like to know a little more about preschools, keep reading! Here you will find descriptions of the many types of preschool options available and the benefits of each. In addition, you will find information on the process of a child qualifying for special education services in their school, and the types of programs and schools created to serve students who qualify for these services. 

TYPES OF PRESCHOOLS TO CHOOSE FROM:

There are numerous types of preschools to choose from, so we have provided a comprehensive list outlining the many options available.

Public preschools: public preschools are programs offered through the public school system. They are free or offered at reduced pricing, and often integrate differently abled kids.

Pros – Public preschools provide children their first opportunity to experience public school life. As children begin to learn school rules, and how the public school system is run, this option can make the transition to grade school easier.

Private preschools: private preschools are programs that are funded by parents, rather than the state. Unless the school specializes in working with children who have special needs, there may be less accommodations to support differently abled students at these schools. 

Pros – These schools have more flexibility in their choice of curriculum, and typically have caps on enrollment, leading to smaller class sizes and more individualized attention for each student. 

Cooperative preschools: cooperative preschools (often referred to as Co-ops) are run through collaboration of parents and paid teaching staff. Parents can volunteer in the classroom, do snack prep, hold board positions, and fundraising. 

Pros – Tuition tends to be lower, since parents are more involved, though it is important to decide if a parent will have time to volunteer.

Faith-based preschools: faith-based preschools offer a preschool curriculum that is guided by the principles of the religious group. Often private schooling, these options can be expensive.

Pros – These programs offer a schooling option guided by your religious belief system. 

In-home preschools: in-home preschools are daycare providers who also offer preschool services in their private residences. These environments tend to be more informal.

Pros – In-home preschools have smaller teacher to student ratios, and can be more accommodating to unique child needs.

Specialized preschools: specialized preschools are schools that work to provide both a typical preschool education in addition to receiving access to special resources or education related to a specialized skill. The specialized resources could be museum exhibits, art classes or any other atypical resource. The specialized skill could be language immersion, gymnastics, and much more. These types of programs can be expensive, and aren’t offered everywhere. 

Pros – Specialized preschools can be a great way to immerse your child in a unique learning environment. 

TEACHING PHILOSOPHIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

In addition to considering the type of preschool for your child to attend, you may also consider preschools with a further specialized teaching style.

Montessori preschools: Montessori schools allow children to learn through play at their own pace. This curriculum has a large focus on academics.

Pros – This curriculum is a child-led model that promotes academic learning at a young age.

Waldorf preschools: Waldorf schools are private schools that use a play-based learning approach. 

Pros – Children are taught many practical activities.

Reggio Emilia preschools: Reggio Emilia preschools utilize a project-based approach to preschool education. This philosophy believes that kids are there to explore, and teachers are meant to facilitate this child-led exploration.

Pros – This preschool philosophy promotes cooperation and engaging learning.

High Scope: High scope programs work under the philosophy that children learn best through active hands-on learning. These are typically community-based programs that may be found at a local church or YMCA.

Pros – This curriculum is highly routine based, and promotes adult-child interactions. This model is also inclusive for children with disabilities.

PRESCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Picking a preschool can be an overwhelming project for any parent, and it can be even more challenging when selecting a preschool for a child with any type of developmental or learning disability. While it is important to consider all of the above criteria when selecting a preschool, there are additional considerations to make when choosing a preschool for a child with special needs. Overall, you want to consider all of the above factors, but the weight that each factor carries will vary by kid.

Qualifying for special needs services

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 7.2 million students, or 15% of public school enrollment, received special education services in the 2020-21 school year (Fast Facts: Students with Disabilities). Students may qualify under physical, developmental, or emotional impairments, including but not limited to, Autism, ADHD, speech and language delays, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, deafness, hearing impairments, blindness, and behavior difficulties. In order to receive special education services, a child must first be evaluated to determine if they qualify for services. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), every child has the right to be identified, located, and evaluated. Once a child is evaluated, if deemed eligible, the local school district is required to help the family create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). While creating this IEP, the family and school personnel will decide which accommodations and services are the best fit to support your child. You can find more information on how to begin this process in our Navigating the School System blog. When selecting a preschool for your child, it may be important to consider how the preschool will be able to meet the goals of your child’s IEP plan.

Preschool options

When choosing a preschool for your child with special needs, you will want to pick a school that will best meet your child’s needs, and the school where your child will thrive. If you are finding that the general preschool options will not meet the needs of your child, there are other options that provide services to support your child. Some of the options include the Build Up Michigan program, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) classrooms, Head Start program, Great Start Readiness program, and schools that fully serve children with special education needs. 

Build Up MI

Build Up helps connect parents and their children from ages 3 to 5 to additional educational support as they prepare to enter kindergarten. This program refers eligible children to receive special education services. Parents can contact the Build Up Michigan Coordinator, Alicia Kruk, at akruk@washtenawisd.org or (734) 994-8100 x 1272 to request a special education evaluation for their child. 

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) 

ECSE classrooms are classes for students aged 3-5 who qualify under IDEA. Students enrolled in these classes may have access to a special education teacher, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. These services ensure a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all eligible students. 

Head Start

Head Start is a government funded program that supports low-income families and families of children with disabilities. To qualify, you must meet the eligibility requirements, which include being between 3-5 years of age, being below the poverty guidelines, and/or if you are homeless, receive TANF, or receive SSI. Federal regulation also requires that 10% of the Head Start population be children with disabilities. 

Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) 

The Great Start Readiness Program is a state-funded program designed to support 4-year-old children who are identified as being at risk for educational failure. This program serves low-income families, individuals with disabilities or identified developmental delays, children with behavior concerns, children whose home language is not English, children from houses where child or parental abuse or neglect is occurring, and those faced with environmental risk factors. This program is typically offered in local schools.

Special Education Schools

In addition to the federally supported programs to support children with disabilities, there are also options to attend schools that are entirely dedicated to serving children with special needs. These schools offer programming to support individuals with mental and physical impairments. They often offer special services, such as speech therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, and social work services among other service types. In order to qualify for these programs, you will likely need to have your child evaluated to determine their eligibility in the program. Area schools with preschool programs aimed at supporting children with special needs are High Point School in Ann Arbor and South Lyon Special Education Preschool. 

Resources in Washtenaw County:

• Westerman Preschool and Family Center AA Public Schools: https://www.a2schools.org/Page/7101
• Washtenaw Intermediate School District: http://washtenawisd.org/departments/special-education/special-education-programs

Conclusion

All children have their own unique characteristics, strengths, and challenges. This list highlights many key areas to consider when selecting a preschool for your young one. Ultimately, you know your child best, so keep that in mind when weighing the costs and benefits of each program. Remember, most people pick a preschool within five miles of their home, so start with a quick Google search of preschools in the area, and then see what options are available to you!

For other questions you can ask when looking into preschools, check out our How to Choose a Preschool for Your Child blog!