Welcome to Preschool
We are dedicated to providing a nurturing environment that enriches the lives of children and their families. Through preschool experiences and activities, we enhance each child's growth and development in every way.
Our Dickinson C. Ross Preschool, named after a longtime and dedicated JTC board member, enrolls children ages 3-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing, or hearing. Our preschool is the only family-centered listening and spoken language preschool in Los Angeles focused on providing children with hearing loss the opportunity to develop essential listening and spoken language skills alongside hearing peers. Cultivating good communication skills and intellectual curiosity before the age of 5 is key to life-long educational, intellectual and leadership achievements. JTC's preschool is dedicated and experienced in helping children reach their full potential.
Meaningful Play and Soaring Imaginations
Our preschoolers are educated based on the principles of kindness, empathy and community through exploration, imagination, and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment. Children will develop listening and language skills, learn how to take turns, engage each other in meaningful play, recognize, and understand emotions, explore, problem-solve, create, draw, paint, sing, dance, role-play, listen to and tell stories, and make connections with friends and teachers throughout their day.
Experienced, Compassionate and Collaborative Teachers
Our teachers have master's degrees from accredited training programs and have the California DHH Specialist credential. On a daily basis, our Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) and Listening and Spoken Language Specialists Auditory Verbal Therapists (LSL-AVT) collaborate with the preschool teachers to develop children's speech, language, listening, pre-literacy, cognitive and play skills. JTC staff provides a safe, caring, and inspiring environment that facilitates learning through hands-on experiences. Families in the preschool have access to LSL-AVT, speech and language therapy, and counseling and child development. Additional visits to our on-campus library and movement room are included weekly.
Nurturing & Caring
Your child gets all the caring attention they need to thrive with smaller class sizes and smaller groups where noise levels are low, and sharing is easy. More time for individualized attention and active conversation will help increase your child's development in a welcoming environment where they feel they belong. Our preschool includes differentiated instruction, developmentally appropriate curriculum focused on preparing children for a mainstream kindergarten when they leave us.
Parents Are Our Partners!
We know that parent engagement is powerful and will help your child excel at school. Parents participate in our preschool in a variety of ways and are always welcome to help in the classroom. Parents are given the opportunity to practice auditory verbal techniques and strategies, and gain knowledge and skills they need to foster their child's overall development.
Parents attend monthly classroom meetings, workshops, and support groups. Workshop topics like language development, self-advocacy, and school readiness skills help parents make the best choice for their child.
Supporting Your Child's Individual Education Plan (IEP)
John Tracy Center is an OPTION School for Listening and Spoken Language and a California State accredited Non-Public School and Nonpublic Agency (NPA) to provide educational placement and services to students with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) needs. Our curriculums align with the Preschool Learning Foundations and Common Core State Standards. JTC completes an annual certification process and participates in a review process by the CDE, which allows for referral and payment, of students by a Local Educational Agency (LEA).
If you have a child that is deaf or hard of hearing, your Local Educational Agency (LEA) can refer your child to JTC. The LEA would need a master contract with JTC to determine the costs, among other contractual agreements, for your child's needed DHH services. Your child's services and placement would be determined in their IEP meeting.
