What ages does EduCare's Pre-K program serve?

EduCare's Pre-K program serves children ages 4 to 6 years old in Joliet, IL.

How does EduCare's Pre-K prepare children for kindergarten?

Our Pre-K curriculum focuses on literacy, early math, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills to ensure a confident kindergarten transition.

What schedule options are available for Pre-K?

Pre-K offers School Day, School Day Plus, Extended Day (8:00am–4:00pm), and Extended Day Plus (7:00am–5:00pm; 6am–6pm available upon request based on staffing), available 2, 3, or 5 days per week.

Is EduCare's Pre-K program licensed?

Yes, EduCare Learning Center is a fully licensed early childhood education facility in Joliet, IL with background-checked, CPR-certified teachers.

Pre-K Program (Ages 4–6) — EduCare Learning Center Joliet, IL

Pre-K preparing bright minds for the next adventure

About our Pre-K Program

Our Pre-K Program provides an environment that is thought-provoking and leads to exploration, observation, discovery, and peer social interactions.
We provide experiences that are hands-on and meaningful to foster a lifelong love of learning.

What Makes Our Program Special?

Our well-rounded Pre-K program lays the foundation for children's academic, social, and emotional growth through play-based and structured learning experiences. Children are truly ready for "big kid school" when they enter into the public school system for Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Readiness

Structured activities focus on early literacy, math concepts, and problem-solving to give your child a strong academic foundation.

Social Skills Development

We help your child learn teamwork, communication, and empathy through collaborative play.

Creative Exploration

Through art, music, dramatic play and science experiments, your child will discover their passions and develop critical thinking skills.

Physical Growth

Active play and movement ensure healthy bodies and happy minds.

Safe and Loving Environment

Our trained caregivers provide the warmth and attention your little one needs to feel secure and confident.
Learn more

Curriculum Summary

In our Pre-K program, children deepen their understanding of key developmental areas, gaining confidence, independence, and curiosity as they prepare for the next stage of their educational journey.
Through enriching experiences that focus on the four key areas of development, we empower them to continue growing into lifelong learners as they prepare for their transition to kindergarten.

Curriculum Highlights

Core Focus

Our 4-5 year old program focuses on preparing our students for their next step in their educational journey, Kindergarten! We work on expanding our vocabulary, recognizing letters as well as their sounds, developing early reading skills, and even practice storytelling. Students will also work on core mathematical thinking skills like understanding numbers, counting, sorting, patterns, simple addition/subtraction and basic problem-solving skills. Basic scientific concepts will be introduced through hands-on experiments that will create curiosity-driven inquiry. Our teachers utilize open-ended questions, games, & puzzles to develop reasoning skills within this group.

Social & Emotional Growth

This is the age where children really start to understand how to apply conflict resolution skills, being a part of a team to solve problems, how to show empathy, and how to use self-regulation skills when tasks or situations become difficult

Individual Attention

Our small classes, and dedicated staff ensure your child receives plenty of individual attention whether it be within small group time or extra needed one-on-one time with a teacher throughout the day during daily activities.

Assessments

Comprehensive assessments completed quarterly on each child with parent/teacher conferences offered to track and support your child's milestones and progress.

Nutrition

We offer homemade nutritional meals, made in our on-site kitchen. Breakfast, lunch, and snack are served daily. Learn more

Communication

Electronic daily sheets are emailed to parents when they check their child out at the end of the day.

Our Teachers

Victoria Nguyen

Pre-K Lead Teacher

I am the lead teacher of the Pre K classroom and have been with EduCare since October 2025. I recently graduated from National Louis University with my Master's in Early Childhood Education before joining the EduCare team. I am a very proud mom of two amazing children, Davina and Tayden. I am passionate about teaching and committed to creating a supportive classroom where every student feels valued, encouraged, and inspired to succeed.

Wendy Glenn

Pre-K Teacher

I will be one of your child's teachers in the Pre-K classroom and I have been with EduCare since July 2017. I am excited to get to know you and your child and look forward to all of the learning that we will be doing this year! I love working at EduCare because I feel at home here. The owners care very much about their employees and the children enrolled at the center. My husband and I have been married for 38 years and we have 2 adult children, Becca & Justin.

Flexibility to Meet Your Schedule

With four different programs to choose from, EduCare is able to meet your busy schedule needs.

Weekly Schedule

Full week

Monday through Friday

MTWThF

Choose A Program That Works For You

School Day	Ideal for families who are wanting social, emotional, & academic growth without full-day care.	9:15a-11:45a
School Day Plus	Offers all the above with the addition of: nutritious lunch quiet rest time snack 2nd outdoor time	9:15a-2:45p
Extended Day	Offers before and after care to the School Day Plus program for families who need full-day care.	8:00a-4:00p
Extended Day Plus	Offers up to an additional 2 hours of care to the Extended Day program for families who need it.	7:00a-5:00p
6am–6pm available upon request (based on staffing)

Watch a Tour

Watch a short video tour of our classroom.

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