Parkside Preschool and Daycare in Chico

     “Where children laugh, love, and learn”

Our Preschool program focuses on teaching each child how to learn, while nurturing their potential and rewarding their efforts. Emphasis is placed on the role that social skills and personal interaction play in building a foundation for a lifetime of learning.

Parkside has designed a unique fun-filled program to create an appreciation and joy of learning in young children. This is not your typical child care or preschool, but rather an early learning program based on love, support and a low student teacher ratio designed to make your child feel at home while growing up.

In addition to the standard preschool curriculums we offer daily “enrichment programs” which allows the children to learn while playing and exploring creative outlets.  The gymnastics and yoga are taught by certified instructors.

  Enrichment Programs

    "Opportunities to Learn and Grow"

•  Monday: Spanish AM / Cooking PM
•  Tuesday- Gymnastics
•  Wednesday-Gymnastics
•  Thursday-Music AM / Yoga PM
•  Friday-Park Walk or Gardening

    Our Classrooms

• Early Preschool (24-30/36 months)
• Preschool (30-36 months)
• Pre-K (3-4 years)
• Junior Kindergarten (4- 5 years)

Early Preschool (24-30/36 months)

Children 24 to 36 months are opening their eyes to the larger world around them and taking an active role in it. They learn as they take things apart, put them together and ask lots and lots of questions. At Parkside, we encourage this development and give them the guidance and tools they need to explore and learn within a comfortable, secure environment.

• Motor Skill Development — outdoor games, dancing, movement.
• Language Development — recognizing and forming letters, story time, speech.
• Sensory Development — textures, understanding the senses, descriptive activities.
• Imaginative Development — arts and crafts, dramatic play, storytelling.
• Social Development — large- and small-group activities, sharing, politeness.

Preschool (30-36 months)

As they enter their third year, children become more and more curious. It’s that natural sense of curiosity that we use to teach them to learn and grow. Within our home-like environment, your older toddler is free to be anything from an artist to an engineer. Playing pretend, learning games, participating in hands-on activities — these are just a few of the ways we keep kids engaged. But all these games and activities are done for a reason, encouraging development in a number of key areas.

• Motor Skill Development — hands-on activities, outdoor play, tossing, catching.
• Cognitive Development — puzzles, games, recognizing shapes, numbers, colors.
• Language Development — reading, recognizing and forming letters, storytelling.
• Artistic Development — art projects, construction projects, dramatic play.

Pre-K (3-4 years)

"Getting Preschoolers Ready for Kindergarten"

Preschoolers are like sponges — they soak up knowledge. At Parkside, our program for children ages 3-4 encourages growth and learning with days filled with active and fun activities.

Social, verbal, cognitive and physical skills are built through activities that engage children — counting out straws for milk, identifying the first letter of each child’s name or cooperating to assemble a puzzle. It’s all fun, and all done with a purpose.

• Motor Skill Development — outdoor games, dancing, movement.
• Language Development — recognizing and forming letters, story time, speech.
• Imaginative Development — arts and crafts, dramatic play, storytelling.
• Social Development — large- and small-group activities, sharing, cooperation.

Junior Kindergarten (Ages 4 & 5)

"Ready. Set. Kindergarten!"

Kindergarten is an exciting step for children and parents alike. At Parkside, much of what we have done in previous years has all been leading up to it. But it is during our Junior Kindergarten Program (exclusively for children who will be enrolled in kindergarten in the upcoming school year), that it becomes even more important. In this year, children will focus on:

• Kindergarten Prep — letters, words, numbers, early science and math concepts.  
• Imaginative Development — arts and crafts, dramatic play, storytelling.
• Social Development — interaction, cooperation, helping others.
• Physical Development — indoor and outdoor play, games, dancing.

The class will be limited to 14 students and is being taught by a credentialed teacher with the curriculum aligned with the California State Standards.  Acting as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten, the Junior Kindergarten program is designed and dedicated to preparing the children for their May graduation ceremony into kindergarten! This is complete with caps and gowns on our stage!