Welcome to Wadsworth City School’s Jump Start Preschool!  Our preschool program is open to children ages 3-5 who live in the Wadsworth City School District.  The program runs four, half days a week.  Students are in session Monday through Thursday either in the morning from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. or in the afternoon from 12:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. and are housed at both Overlook Elementary School and Isham Memorial Elementary Schools. The program is integrated for students with identified disabilities as well as for typically developing students.

The philosophy of the Jump Start Preschool Program is to provide opportunities for young children with diverse abilities to explore their environment, building new understandings from previously acquired knowledge.  Our role as teachers is to foster curiosity, positive attitudes, and lifelong learning.  We will provide the children with successful experiences that allow them to develop to their full potential physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually.  We will provide diversified opportunities that encourage exploration, inclusion, and celebration of various cultures.

Our curriculum, The AEPS, Assessment, Evaluation, Programming System aligns with the Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) through the Ohio Department of Education.  The curriculum, along with the content standards, addresses all areas of development including social, adaptive, fine motor, gross motor, pre-reading, and pre-math skills.  Each child is offered a variety of hands-on experiences in order to move through the developmental milestones and ultimately prepare them for kindergarten.  Experiences are offered in large groups, small groups, and individual learning opportunities.

The Jump Start Preschool Program is designed with the following goals in mind:

Communication:  To facilitate the development of the child's expressive and receptive language according to the child's individual ability.

Cognitive Skills:  To facilitate the development of the child's ability to understand order, problem-solving and logical thinking.

Gross Motor:  To facilitate the development, awareness, and efficient usage of large muscle skills and relationship of body space.

Fine Motor:  To facilitate the development, awareness, and efficient usage of fine muscles.

Personal/Social:  To facilitate the development of a good self-image, the ability to interrelate successfully in a group situation, and acceptance of human differences.