Preschool Program for
Early Childhood Special Education

Radford City Schools Preschool Program for Early Childhood Special Education serves children, ages 2 through 5, who have developmental delays.

1. Who is experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas:  physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development or adaptive development; and

2. Who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services

Radford City Schools offers a full continuum of special education services ranging from services at home or daycare, to a program provided at McHarg Elementary School.  The type of services necessary depend upon your child's needs.  Services can be provided at daycare, headstart or other childcare sites if they are located within Radford City.  Children who have been identified as being eligible for Special Education and Related services between ages 2 through 5 are eligible to receive these services.  If you are interested in finding out more about Radford City Schools Preschool Program for Early Childhood Special Education services please feel free to contact me at: dsable@rcps.org

• Jumps; runs; kicks a ball; walks up and down stairs
• Employs hand skills; turns pages one at a time, can help to dress and undress self, turns door knob and unscrews lids, can feed self well with spoon
• Experiments with language skills; can speak in short sentences
• Begins to name objects in books; uses many new words
• Shows understanding; can pay attention to activities for longer periods of time, knows some colors, points to parts of the body, can say first name
• Begins to ask to use toilet during the day
• Plays with other children, usually for short periods of time, with little sharing of toys

• Walks upstairs; begins to balance on one foot; like to ride tricycle
• Employs hand skill; puts shoes on (no lacing); begins to copy simple shapes, cuts with scissors, brushes teeth with help
• Experiments with language skills; says first and last name, knows whether he/she is a boy/girl, repeats some nursery rhymes
• Knows difference between big and little, follows two or three directions, begins to count
• Naps start to disappear
• Plays more with other children

• Walks and runs well; has good balance
• Employs hand skills; catches a large ball, begins to copy some capital letters, draws circles, crosses, and squares
• Exhibits self-help skills; washes and dries self, brushes teeth, dresses and undresses self (including buttons)
• Tells you of toilet need
• Experiments with language skills; talks about experiences, makes up stories, asks many questions (why, what, where)
• Names colors
• Plays well with other children (takes turns)
• Shows understanding; knows difference between part and whole, same and different, begins to understand ideas of past, present, and future. May count from 1 to 10
• Interested in new experiences; more independent

• Skips, hops, swings, climbs, somersaults
• Employs self-help skills; dresses self completely (laces shoes, combs hair), serves self at table, uses fork, spoon, and sometimes knife, almost always cares for own toilet needs
• Experiments with language; uses full sentences, tells longer stories
• Says name and address
• Shows understanding; has knowledge of events in time such as "yesterday," "next summer," "when you grow up"
• Knows about things used everyday in the home such as money, foods, appliances and furniture
• Social skills; plays games with older children and can agree to rules. Likes to sing, dance & act. Shows more independence (may visit a neighbor by self)
• Interested in physical differences between boys and girls

McHarg Elementary School
700 12th Street
Radford, VA 24173
731-3652

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