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Early Childhood Education

Enrollment Information

Main Office Location and Business Hours

5309 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Information: (916) 971-5988
Special Ed Preschool referral line: (916) 971-7527, option 3
Infant/toddler deaf/hard of hearing program: (916) 486-0647

Mission Statement

Respecting the uniqueness of each child, the mission of the San Juan Early Childhood Education department is to educate and inspire each child and family to become active collaborators and innovators in a diverse world by fostering creativity, critical thinking, communication, and citizenship in a safe, nurturing, and evolving learning environment.

Benefits of Early Childhood Education

Young children in infancy are already ready to learn. San Juan Unified’s multiple programs for infants and toddlers provide child care or in-home services to those who are eligible, including pregnant women and families with children up to age three. The goal of San Juan Unified's Early Head Start (EHS) Program is to bring about a greater degree of social competence in young children, taking into account the inter-relatedness of cognitive and intellectual development, physical and mental health, and nutritional needs.

San Juan Unified's high-quality preschool programs provide educational and developmental opportunities for children aged three to five. Research shows that children learn easily and well at this age. The intellectual and social benefits of preschool are numerous and undeniable. Young children learn to live in a classroom community, to follow a routine, and to get along with people other than their relatives. Preschool education also provides economically disadvantaged children with a “head start.”

The effects of preschool have extended beyond school into the adult world. Research shows that preschool graduates outshine non-participants by:

  • Receiving fewer referrals for remedial classes or special education 
  • Being less likely to repeat grades 
  • Earning higher grades and fewer failing grades 
  • Attaining greater social and emotional maturity 
  • More frequently graduating from high school or completing a GED 
  • Possessing greater academic motivation and more on-task behavior 
  • Having a greater capacity for independent work 
  • Spending more time on homework 
  • Showing lower incidences of absenteeism and detentions 
  • Possessing better attitudes toward school 
  • Having higher self-esteem 
  • Displaying lower incidence of illegitimate pregnancy, drug abuse, and delinquent acts 
  • Participating more in sports 
  • More frequently enrolling in post-secondary programs 
  • Showing higher future aspirations 
  • Having higher employment rates, better earnings, and a lower incidence of dependence on welfare 
  • Having fewer arrests and antisocial acts 
  • Having better relationships with family members, a higher incidence of volunteer work, and more frequent church attendance 

Early Child Education programs are dedicated to nurturing children, parents, families and staff by providing quality education, resources, and personal growth opportunities that encourage lifelong learning.

Program Goals and Philosophy

The goal of all Early Childhood Preschool Programs here in the San Juan Unified School District is to provide an environment of success where children develop skills which will enable them to make sense of the world. Children will have the opportunity to interact with materials, their peers, and adults, to solve problems and find answers to questions.

Through a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment, the staff will plan activities and interactions which will emphasize socio-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. The children's role is to explore and discover. The staff's role is to participate in a partnership with parents to ensure their children's success.

The Houghton Mifflin curriculum is designed to provide both individual and group activities. The program offers learning opportunities through art, music, & movement, science, cooking, pre-math, fine & gross motor, emergent literacy & writing, and dramatic play activities. The curriculum will also be supported by field trips and community visitors. Ongoing communication between staff and parents is also an essential part of the curriculum, reinforcing the children's feeling that their two worlds are connected.

The Special Education Department maintains traditional Special Day Class and Resource Specialist programs. In addition, San Juan Unified  has cultivated preschool centers, inclusion sites, and specialized cluster programs to serve students with low-incidence disabilities.