Little Friends Early Education and Preschool: Nurturing Growth and Development

Little Friends Early Education and Preschool provides a nurturing and safe environment with built-in, age-appropriate programs that stimulate the mind and body for children ages 6 weeks to four years/VPK. The school is proud to have served families in the Peoria area and surrounding communities for over 25 years.

A Focus on Holistic Development

Little Friends nurtures and educates infants, toddlers, two-year-olds, preschoolers, kindergarten prep students, private kindergarteners, and school-age children in developmentally appropriate environments. The mission is to provide a caring and nurturing environment where each child can reach their full potential. Little Friends offers children a world of experience to help them develop their mind, body, social skills, self-awareness, and character. The long-term teachers and school administrators are committed to providing quality, consistent care and educational programs.

Academic Foundations: Learning Beyond Paper

The teaching of academics begins early, but it is carefully calibrated to the age and developmental capacity of each child. The curriculum, "Learning Beyond Paper," is used throughout the preschool, with directed play and activities relevant to every age and stage, using tools that are suitable to each individual child. Learning through play is considered the key to early childhood education, so the school strives to make all learning experiences enjoyable for each child. The inspiring academic curriculum is based on the science of reading.

Little Friends Preschool understands that children develop into proficient readers when they have systematic, explicit instruction. “Learning Beyond Paper” offers both. Children need to have a knowledge of letters and letter-sound awareness, and they need to understand what they hear. Each week, each class has a special letter - they learn its name, what it looks like, how it sounds, and how it is formed when they write it.

The Lab: A World of Discovery

The Lab is one of the most exciting parts of Little Friends Preschool. Inside is a science corner with wonders such as magnetic and light tables, an interactive globe, and an ant farm. There are child-size computers with learning programs, a magnetic white board with people, places, vehicles, insects, clouds, trees, and flowers to create scenery, and a child-size library with a colorful reading rug, reading tents, reading nooks, and shelves no higher than the children's heads.

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Integrating the Arts and STEM

While many institutions of higher learning emphasize S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs, Little Friends believes a more enlightened approach is to add the Arts into the mix. A truly well-rounded person is versed in what lifts the soul and the spirit, as well as the more hard-core academic areas. The school finds children to be incredibly visionary, willing to take huge risks in their thinking, thriving on the response of their peers and teachers as they take flight in imagination.

Reading is a Priority

Reading is BIG at Little Friends Preschool! The Lab is an attractive, enticing space where the children are often read to by grandparents or "Celebrity Readers," members of the community who love to introduce the children to their own favorite books and stories.

Music and Art Integration

Music and Art are woven throughout your child's day, and are included daily. The teachers and children sing together every day. Occasionally, when the children sing in other venues on campus, the HAB Minister of Music leads them in rehearsal, giving them professional instruction. When the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra or other professional musicians rehearse at HAB for special programs, the children are allowed to listen to the instruments. The Narthex Art Gallery on the HAB campus provides "field trips" several times each year, whenever the exhibits change. The children are never without child-size crayons and paints to express feelings and observations visually.

Gardening: Hands-On Learning

The Gardening Curriculum, written for our children by a Master Gardener, allows the children to actually get their hands into the earth, which they absolutely love to do, to learn how things grow and, when practical, to eat the vegetables they grow.

Chapel Time: Reflection and Values

Chapel time happens once a week and is when the children hear stories about some of our heroes and people who have accomplished admirable things, and talk about becoming our better selves. They experience quiet time, and are encouraged to reflect and think. Religion is not taught at Little Friends, but we honor the special days and celebrations of all religious beliefs.

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Physical Education and S4 Sports Academy

Physical education (P.E.) is taught daily at Little Friends with age-appropriate instruction, especially during play periods out of doors. Little Friends Preschool’s P.E. program is greatly enhanced by S4 Sports Academy’s participation with our threes and fours. S4 teaches the children basic athletic skills, listening skills, hand-eye coordination, a love for games, and physical fitness. The children love this program and respond enthusiastically and zealously.

Procare App: Streamlined Communication

Procare app is the excellent management software used by Little Friends Preschool for many functions - communication between the preschool and the parents, signing in and out, pictures during the day of your child’s activities, managing family information, the calendar, tracking attendance, the automation of tuition, newsletters, and a myriad of functions needed by both the preschool and the parents.

If a parent desires to know about diaper changes, for example, or feeding, or tummy time, the parent turns “ON” the Notifications function within the app and receives the timely information. Parents can use Procare to make teacher appointments or to let the school know that the child will be absent or late or has to be picked up early or any other message the parent wishes. Each user has an individualized code to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

Location and Accessibility

Little Friends is conveniently located just off Knoxville Ave and Alta Road, minutes from I-74.

Key Features of Little Friends Early Education and Preschool

Nurturing Environment: A safe and supportive setting for children to grow and learn.
Age-Appropriate Programs: Stimulating activities tailored to each child's developmental stage.
"Learning Beyond Paper" Curriculum: Play-based learning that fosters academic foundations.
Focus on Reading: Emphasis on systematic, explicit instruction to develop proficient readers.
The Lab: A dedicated space for science, technology, and literacy exploration.
Arts Integration: Incorporating music and art to nurture creativity and well-rounded development.
Gardening Curriculum: Hands-on learning about nature and healthy eating.
Physical Education: Daily activities to promote physical fitness and coordination.
S4 Sports Academy: Enhancing P.E. program with specialized athletic skills instruction.
Procare App: Streamlined communication and management tool for parents and staff.

Considering Private School Costs

The average private school tuition in Peoria, IL is $15,024 for elementary schools. It's important for parents to discover the hidden costs of private school, including fees, uniforms, and extras parents must budget for beyond tuition. The average acceptance rate in Peoria, IL is 66%.

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Pre-K Program

For families in Gwinnett County, it's worth noting that for the 2026-27 school year, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will continue its free Pre-K Program in eight Gwinnett elementary schools-Anderson-Livsey, Beaver Ridge, Benefield, Hopkins, Lawrenceville, McKendree, Nesbit, and Norton. Each school will have two Pre-K classes in the fall. These classes will follow the GCPS calendar and the elementary school’s hours. For each school, the two Pre-K classes will serve 16 students each for a total of 32 children. Families who live in a school attendance zone may enter their child in the GCPS Pre-K Lottery if they are interested in their child attending one of the classes at their child's zoned school. The 2026 - 2027 GCPS Pre-K Lottery will be held on May 4 with the random selection of students through a digital lottery process. The lottery consists of random drawings from among all applicants within each elementary school attendance zone. Eight separate lottery drawings will be held to determine the class lists and waiting lists for each elementary school. All students entered in the lottery will be randomly selected and placed in order based on their selection. Once the first 32 positions are filled, the names of the remaining children will be placed on the waiting list for the school’s Pre-K program based on their position in the lottery. Each drawing will be recorded. Any openings that become available in the Pre-K classes will be filled using the waiting list for that school attendance zone. Please read our Pre-K Enrollment Guidelines and read our Pre-K Lottery FAQs about the lottery process.

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