Fantasy Island Schools for Kids is an English-language daycare where most teachers speak Polish, so your 2 or 3 year old gets ready for American schools and keeps Polish alive. Serving the Northwest Side, Niles and the surrounding area.
Many parents know a family who switched to English when their children started preschool, and a few years later those children could no longer understand the language spoken at home. You do not want that for your child.
Daycare years are often when a home language either stays strong or quietly fades. At Fantasy Island, most of our teachers speak Polish, so Polish is a living part of the school day, not something your child leaves at the door. Every Friday we hold structured Polish language classes. Your child hears that the language you speak at home matters here too.
You also want your child to walk into kindergarten ready to learn in English. That is our first goal. English is the language of instruction at Fantasy Island, and our program is built to prepare children to continue their education in American schools.
That is why our daycare runs in English, with Polish-speaking teachers alongside your child. Your 2 or 3 year old spends the day hearing and using English through songs, stories, play and conversation, with Polish support when they need it. Many of our kindergarten graduates go on to gifted programs.
Many families on Chicago’s Northwest Side and in Niles speak Polish at home. If Polish is the only language your 2 year old knows, the first days in an English classroom can feel overwhelming, for them and for you.
Because most of our teachers speak Polish, a teacher can understand your child when they ask for help, say they are hungry, or need comfort. That makes the first weeks gentler while English grows day by day. Parents feel the difference too, since you can talk about your child with a teacher in the language you are most comfortable with.
Not every family at Fantasy Island speaks Polish, and children do not need to know Polish to enroll. Our day runs in English, so every child follows along from the start.
Children who do not speak Polish at home often pick up words and songs anyway. One parent wrote, with a smile, that her son came home speaking Polish one day. For families from mixed or English-speaking homes, Friday Polish class is a bonus, not a requirement.
Leave your phone number and your child’s age. We will call you to pick a time to visit our classrooms at 6100 N Milwaukee Ave. Prefer to talk now? Call 773-206-4627.
No. We are an English-language daycare with Polish language support. English is the language of instruction, because our goal is to prepare children for American schools. Most of our teachers speak Polish, and we hold structured Polish language classes every Friday, so Polish stays part of your child’s week.
Many parents worry about this. At Fantasy Island the day runs in English, and Polish comes through Polish-speaking teachers and the Friday Polish class, so English stays the main school language. Many families raise children with Polish at home and English at school. If you have specific concerns about your child’s speech, your pediatrician or a speech specialist is the right person to ask.
Every Friday we hold structured Polish language classes. They give children who speak Polish at home a regular time to use and grow it, and give other children a friendly first taste of the language. You can ask to see what the class looks like during your tour.
Many families do, and we welcome it. English is covered all day at school, so home is a natural place for Polish to stay strong. Our Polish-speaking teachers understand families who want both: a child who is ready for school in English and still talks with relatives in Polish.
Usually, yes. Most of our teachers speak Polish, so if you are more comfortable discussing your child in Polish, you can. Many parents find it easier to share worries about a toddler, like sleep, eating or a hard drop-off, in their own language.
See all daycare options on our Daycare page, compare costs on Tuition & CCAP, or read parent FAQs.
