The gifted preschool program at Fantasy Island Schools for Kids feeds your curious 3- or 4-year-old’s love of learning and builds toward gifted programs, for families from Norwood Park to Park Ridge and beyond.
If you already picture your preschooler as a prospect for a kindergarten gifted program, you are not getting ahead of yourself. An overwhelming majority of our kindergarten graduates are accepted into gifted programs, and that path begins at ages 3 and 4.
Our Gifted Enrichment Program is part of preschool and included in tuition. It is an advanced, activity-focused curriculum across literacy, math, science, social studies and art, built on experiential and collaborative learning. When your child moves up to our kindergarten, the same approach continues with a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare children for gifted programs and for school in the United States.
Wanting a strong start does not mean wanting a stressed preschooler. Parents describe our program as rigorous yet fun, and that balance is deliberate. Children here learn by doing: building, sorting, experimenting, drawing and talking through problems with classmates, in a multi-sensory play space designed for that kind of learning.
Music with a qualified music teacher, dance, art and STEM activities are woven into the week, so advanced learning feels like play. Small class sizes let teachers stretch a child who is racing ahead in one area while giving another child more time where they need it.
A bright child who cannot sit still or hold attention for long is one of the most common worries we hear. Twice a week, our founder, Beata Bielic, a certified Brain Gym instructor, leads Brain Gym sessions in the classroom.
These are short, playful movements: crossing the midline, balance exercises, hand-eye coordination games, stretching and breathing, sometimes combined with listening or looking tasks. The goal is better focus, attention, body awareness and overall learning readiness. For a preschooler on a gifted path, being able to settle, listen and follow a multi-step direction matters as much as knowing letters and numbers.
Parents who have been through gifted testing often say that a child’s knowledge changes slowly, while emotional readiness can change in a month or two. That is where preschool makes a real difference. Your child practices working with an adult they do not know well, waiting their turn, trying again after a mistake, and speaking up in a group.
Our plays and concerts give children regular practice standing in front of an audience. All of our staff complete training in child development and trauma-informed care, so confidence is built with patience, not pressure.
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.
The Gifted Enrichment Program is part of our preschool and included in tuition, so every preschooler at Fantasy Island takes part. The curriculum is advanced and activity-focused, and small class sizes let teachers adjust the challenge for each child. You do not need a test score or a label to give your 3- or 4-year-old this kind of start.
Many Chicago parents start thinking about gifted programs when their child is 3 or 4, and preschool is where the foundations form. That does not mean drilling. At this age, our gifted curriculum builds curiosity, language, early math and science thinking through hands-on play, alongside focus and confidence. The goal is a child who loves learning, not a child who is tired of it.
Brain Gym uses simple, purposeful movements such as crossing the midline, balance work and breathing to help children develop focus, attention, coordination and learning readiness. Our founder, Beata Bielic, a certified Brain Gym instructor, leads the sessions twice a week. A child who can settle and listen carefully is better able to show what they know, in class and beyond.
Yes. Children can continue into our kindergarten program for ages 5 and 6, which follows a rigorous yet fun curriculum designed to prepare children for gifted programs and for continuing their education in American schools. Staying in one school means your child keeps building on the same approach instead of adjusting to a new one.
No school can promise an admission decision, because those decisions are made by the programs your child applies to. What we can share is our track record: an overwhelming majority of our kindergarten graduates are accepted into gifted programs. Our curriculum is designed to help each child reach their potential, and many of our graduates have taken that next step.
See all preschool options on our Preschool page, compare costs on Tuition & CCAP, or read parent FAQs.
