About Us
Since 1965
First Church Preschool has a rich heritage that spans over 50 years. The preschool opened in the fall of 1965 and is formerly known as First United Methodist Preschool. We are located in the heart of Crystal Lake at the corner of Dole and Crystal Lake Avenue.
Our preschool serves children ages 2-5 years of age from our church and community. Our school year preschool programs will benefit your child(ren) in their spiritual, social/emotional, cognitive and physical development.


From The director
Hello from First Church Preschool,
You are on the path to making a hallmark decision in choosing a quality Christian preschool program for your child. We, at FCP, are committed to living up to the important responsibility of providing an excellent early childhood program.
Our leadership team includes the Director of Spiritual Development and Family Ministries from First Church and the Preschool Board, comprised of both parents and church members. As a ministry, we echo the church’s purpose, mission, and core values, Devoted to Christ, Connected to Others and Sent to Serve.
At FCP we have a creative and professional staff, selected for their knowledge of child development and dedication to educating children. Our curriculum unites the developmental philosophy of Early Childhood Education and Development Standards. We provide children with a safe, creative and engaging environment to enhance their spiritual, social/emotional, physical, language and cognitive development.
Above all, FCP believes: “each child is a unique gift from God and He has a perfect plan for each and every child.” Jeremiah 29:11
We welcome you to come and tour our sweet little preschool and experience all we have to offer.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Mary Pedersen, Director
815.459.8097
Our Goals
The following is a very brief summary of our goals and objectives. First Church Preschool bases its curriculum on Developmentally Appropriate Practices. By introducing children to experiences appropriate for their age level in an open and accepting environment, we feel we are providing them with the “basics” for their future development. The main areas of development we stress are:


Emotional and Social
- Help children negotiate and problem solve
- Foster security with adults other than family
- Increase independence
- Enhance children’s social awareness
- Encourage manners and foster appropriate behaviors
Perceptual and Motor
- Improve hand-eye coordination
- Develop and encourage self-expression through art and music
- Provide daily opportunities to improve large motor development
- Help the children develop spatial awareness
Cognitive and Conceptual
- Encourage each child to investigate and acquire information about themselves and their environment
- Express wonder in the relationships between events and things
- Exhibit eagerness and curiosity as a learner to develop a strong educational foundation
Language
- Promote greater language skills through the use of rhyming, counting and singing
- Create a safe atmosphere where each child feels free to talk about themselves, others and the world as they see it
- Provide opportunities for children to investigate words in print
- To introduce them to letter formation and phonics through curriculum-based learning
Spiritual
- Provide an environment that exhibits Christian principles and teachings
- Participating in daily prayer
- Singing of appropriate Christian songs, and reading appropriate Christian stories
- Taking part in monthly chapel times to discuss Christianity in a child’s world
From our families
An exceptional preschool experience described by our numerous happy FCP families!
We want to hear from you
Have questions or comments about First Church Preschool? Would you like to schedule a tour? Our staff would love to hear from you, and start a conversation.