The Benton Pre-K, Early Childhood and Birth to 3 Family Educator are all located in the Early Learning Center.

Pre-K

The Pre-K classroom is operated through Southern Region Early Childhood Program which is a part of SIUC. Each spring a Child Find Screening is held at the Early Learning Center. The Child Find Screening is the beginning stage of enrolling a child in Pre-K. Children who are ages 3 years to 5 years (who are not eligible for Kindergarten) are eligible for Pre-K. The Pre-K classrooms have both morning and afternoon sessions. Each session enrolls 20 children, for a total of 80 children. 

Early Childhood

The Early Childhood classroom is part of the Benton Grade School District #47. This classroom serves 3, 4, and 5 year old children who have a 6 month delay in any Developmental Area or that has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). The Early Childhood classroom has an AM and PM session, each session serves up to 10 children. 

Birth to 3

The Birth to 3 Program is part of Southern Region Early Childhood Program at SIUC. Home visits are conducted as an integral part of this program. Families are also encouraged to attend group activities once a month.