Preschool Options Expand for Ferndale Families

In some cities, preschool applications are nearly as hard as the college admissions process: Little children and their parents are subjected to interviews, asked to gather recommendations and wait by the mailbox with bated breath when the envelopes determining acceptance or rejection start to arrive.

Locally, it’s a far more pleasant process. Parents and children visit a few schools, see what might be the best fit, plunk down a deposit for the program they want and, as long as it’s not filled, they’re in.

But that doesn’t mean parents are not particular about the preschool their children attend. This fall, they will have another choice available from Ferndale Public Schools.

Ferndale Schools will offer a tuition-based program for 3- and 4-year-olds this fall. Three-year-olds will attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while four-year-olds will attend Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The program is open to preschoolers in Oakland County.

Barbara Evoe, executive director of curriculum and instruction, said the curriculum will be based on the latest research about early childhood education and will comply with state standards.

“What (parents) will see is children actively engaged in a variety of activities,” Evoe said. “Some will be play-based, while some are more active learning activities.” Curriculum will align with the district’s kindergarten programs, so students will be able to flow easily into kindergarten at age 5.

Parents were asking for a preschool option offered by the district, in addition to local private programs and the state and federally funded programs the district offers at . Families participating in those programs must meet certain eligibility requirements, but the Little Eagles program starting this fall is open to all families.

The public preschool option joins two other longstanding and very popular programs already available in the city: and .

Mary Lampard, director of Ferndale Montessori, said the major difference between a Montessori program and a more traditional preschool is that children are all in one classroom and choose their activities, instead of curriculum being restricted by age.

“If a 3-year-old wants to zoom ahead and read numbers or letters, they can do that; at the same time, there’s no stigma in backing up a little bit,” Lampard said. “It takes the stress off of the early years.”

Children as young as 18 months old can begin in the toddler program, then move into the five-day-a-week preschool beginning at age 2½.

Drayton Avenue Coop Preschool is unique in that it is run by parents. Teacher Julie Fuller and her assistant are the only paid employees; the rest of the work of running the school is done by parents of children at the school, who divvy up tasks ranging from helping out in the classroom to making play dough. That keeps tuition low, as does an annual auction fundraiser.

Drayton follows a play-based curriculum; children choose their own activities at a variety of stations such as blocks, easels and dress-up. But while it may look like the children are simply having a great time with their friends, there is some serious learning going on, Fuller said.

“They have snack time, but it’s not really about the food,” she explained. “They are learning about sitting in a group with friends they might not normally sit with; they are learning table manners; and we have reusable dishes, so they learn about the importance of recycling.”

Each of the schools are registering children for next fall now, and programs fill up fast. Parents may reach the Ferndale Schools enrollment office at 248-586-8686. Ferndale Montessori may be reached at 248-548-4154, and Drayton Avenue Cooperative Preschool may be reached at 248-545-0444.