Early Childhood (Preschool)
WHITE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENTAL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
The White River Inclusionary Preschool is an early childhood program blended with specialized approaches and related services as appropriate for children with special needs. Our preschool serves children ages three to five. The purpose is to provide a developmentally appropriate environment for children to develop their language, social-emotional, cognitive/pre-academic, and motor skills necessary for future school success. Placement in our Preschool Program is determined through an evaluation process, and students must meet eligibility requirements as mandated by IDEA.
The curriculum used in White River’s Developmental Preschool is Creative Curriculum, which was developed around TS Gold Objectives for Development & Learning: Birth Through Third Grade. Each classroom has a consistent and highly predictable schedule incorporating a learning environment that includes small group, whole group instruction, exploration centers, outside recess, and either lunch or a snack.
White River School District’s Preschool is housed at the Early Learning Center. The preschool consists of a half-day program, Tuesday -Friday, and follows the WRSD Calendar. The morning session runs from 8:55am to 11:20am. The afternoon session runs from 1:00pm-3:25pm. Preschool is offered for qualifying students aged 3-5. Placement is based on need and is determined by the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) team. Transportation within White River boundaries is provided for students who meet special education eligibility criteria for the Preschool Program.
Who Do We Serve?
- Kindergarten students from the Foothills, Mt. Meadow, and Wilkson service areas
- Preschool, Early Kindergarten, and Developmental students from the entire district.
What is Child Find?
The process of locating and evaluating children with disabilities is referred to as Child Find. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 requires all school districts to locate, evaluate, and provide services for individuals 3 to 22nd birthday who may have a disability.
WAC 392-172A-02040 - School districts shall conduct child-find activities calculated to reach all students with a suspected disability for the purpose of locating, evaluating, and identifying students who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability.
What happens during a Child Find Screening?
The purpose of a Child Find Screening is to identify issues that may affect your child’s learning, growth, and development and to help parents identify their child’s strengths and weaknesses.
During the screening, you can expect your child to be screened in the following skill areas:
- Speech/Language: a speech/language pathologist will screen your child's ability to produce speech sounds and to understand and use language.
- Fine Motor Skills: an occupational therapist will screen your child’s fine motor skills (eye-hand coordination, reaching, grasping, object manipulation).
- Gross Motor Skills: a physical therapist will screen your child's gross motor skills (running, jumping, stairs, balance).
- Concepts: an early childhood special education teacher/school psychologist will screen your child's reasoning and problem-solving skills as well as various pre-academic skills such as counting, sorting, colors, etc.
- Social-Emotional/Adaptive: an early childhood special education teacher/school psychologist will consider your child's play skills, interactions with others, self-help skills, etc.
- Vision/Hearing: a school nurse will conduct both a vision and hearing screening and review a health history.
After the screening, a team member will analyze the screening data and connect with the family to discuss any next steps. The next steps may include suggestions for the family and/or initiation of a special education evaluation.
What steps do I take to schedule a Child Find Screening?
To request a Child Find Screening:
- Please contact us at (360) 829-3959 (prior to a screening, the District will need to verify residency)
- Please download the enclosed forms, fill them out on your computer or print them off, and send the completed forms to WRSD Staff Directory
2024-25 Child Find Screening Dates