Lincoln Park Cooperative Nursery School offers part-time, play-based, early-learning programs for children 18 months to 5 years. Each program is designed to reflect the developmental needs of young children.  

We will be offering the following programs for the 2025-26 school year:

​Parent-Tot Class
Parent-Tot I: Friday from 8:30 - 10:00 AM
Parent-Tot II: Friday from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Age Requirement: 18 months old* by September 1, 2025
Children attend each session with a parent or a caregiver
Group Size: 14 with two teachers

Find your parenting community in Parent-Tot! Our Parent-Tot program is a wonderful way to introduce your family to the cooperative preschool school experience. Led by veteran teachers, classes provide the opportunity for children to explore a play-based learning environment with a parent or caregiver each week. Children engage in sensory play, build dramatic play skills, expand their gross motor capabilities, and share in activities that support their social development as members of a group. Parents and caregivers play side by side with their child as teachers support interactions, answer questions, and partner with you on your journey through early childhood. Parent-Tot families participate in all aspects of a cooperative program from committee work to fundraising.

*Children who will turn 18 months between September 1 and December 1 are able enroll and begin Parent-Tot once they are 18 months. Tuition will be prorated to reflect the start date. 

Two Day Morning Nursery Class
Tuesday, Thursday from 8:30 - 11:30 AM
Age Requirement: 2 years old by September 1, 2025
Group Size: 14 with two teachers and an assisting parent

This two day per week drop off program is designed for children 2 to 3 years old. Knowing it’s a first time school experience for many, Two Day teachers support a gentle separation as children ease into the school year and work to feel comfortable in a space away from their parents and caregivers. The classroom is filled with familiar activities that encourage development across domains but also provide comfort and a sense of competence for children. Routines and materials are consistent as children build their stamina for a school day and internalize the ins and outs of a preschool classroom. As the year progresses, children show they are capable of greater explorations. Child led activities from a veterinarian's office in the Dramatic Play corner to venturing to the neighborhood park as a group, expand as relationships with teachers and one another form and grow.  Assisting parents and caregivers join the class each day to share in their child’s preschool experience.

Three Day Morning Nursery Class
Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8:30am - 11:30 AM
Age Requirement: 2.5 years old by September 1, 2025
Group Size: 14 with two teachers and an assisting parent

This three day per week drop-off program supports a wide age range of children - from 2.5 to about 3.5 years old. Similar in many ways to Two Day at the start of the year, teachers work to support a gentle separation to school as children grow accustomed to the routines of the classroom. Our Three Day program maximizes the benefits of a mixed age classroom. Children are exposed to a wider age range and learn from one another in continuous ways. Older children are able to lead, nurture younger peers, and take greater responsibility in the classroom. Conversely, younger children observe more complex play and sophisticated language. Teachers in this classroom turn children toward one another for learning experiences. Mixed age classrooms support the fact that development is a spectrum and allows teachers to continue to individualize for each child as a member of a group. Assisting parents and caregivers join the class each day to share in their child’s preschool experience.

Four Day Morning Nursery Class
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 8:30 - 11:30 AM
Age Requirement: 3 years old by September 1, 2025
Group Size: 16 with two teachers and an assisting parent

Children in our Four Day program are 3 to 4 years old and attend school four days per week. Once separation is complete, Four Day children begin to build their autonomy as the classroom community comes together. Much of the Four Day focus is on group life and how children see themselves and one another in the context of the group. Children continuously build on their social emotional competence as they negotiate their way in the classroom. With teacher scaffolding, they problem solve with one another, work together, and navigate the complexities of early childhood friendships. Part-way through the year, teachers introduce Table Time where children have the opportunity to build specific skills by participating in teacher-led activities for 15-20 minutes at a time. Activities include games that enhance cooperation, the use of tools like hole punches or scissors to sharpen fine motor skills, or open ended art projects that require following multi-step directions. Assisting parents and caregivers join the class each day to share in their child’s preschool experience.

Junior Kindergarten
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 11:45 am - 3:45 pm
Age Requirement: 4 years old by September 1, 2025
Group Size: 16 with two teachers and an assisting parent

Our play-based Junior Kindergarten program prepares children for life beyond the co-op by engaging in child-led activities and studies that expand upon the skills they acquired in nursery school. Junior Kindergarten (JK) meets 4 afternoons a week for children who are 4 by September 1. Teachers in our JK program study and learn about the children's’ interests and craft the curriculum around areas of interest while scaffolding growth across domains of development. Teachers meet each child where they are at - finding ways for the classroom to come together and for each child to participate in ways they feel comfortable and competent. 
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​Admission into all programs welcomes families into the cooperative membership and gives families priority for upcoming school years. All families will serve either on the board of directors or on a committee of the board.