Preschool can be a wonderful place for toddlers to grow their inner abilities, nurture their creativity, and develop those skills of friendship and interaction. There are a lot of preschools that can offer the perfect balance of hands on learning and fun experiences for little children. But how to choose which preschool is right for your family? Parents often want to know how to choose the right preschool that will suit the needs of their child so here are three ways for parents to select the right preschool:
A. SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY: Some parents swear by Montessori style preschools, others want Waldorf, Play-Based Pre-school, or Traditional….What things other than a name or method should you consider?
1. Child-focused education: Children are highly capable of self-direction, independence and responsibility, and teachers need to know that their job is to simply assist the children uncover these hidden powers. Schools that respect this philosophy should be at the top of the list of every parent’s preschool selection criteria.
2. Natural and Powerful Transitions: Preschools that have enjoyed a high success rate and extremely good parents’ reviews when it comes to transitioning to kindergarten or traditional school environments are also enjoying more support from prospective parents. Ask fellow parents whose children have undergone such transitions already to see if they are happy with the school transitioning and learning curves.
3. Group Involvement: A group is made up of the child, the teacher, and the parents. Preschools that encourage such group involvements, including regular parent teacher meetings, home assignments, and in-class discussion with the parents tend to make the children more involved, developing their interpersonal and communication skills and even getting rid of their fear of public speaking and stage performance.
B. SAFETY: Every parent must inquire about the school’s safety measures. How safe is the physical location of the preschool is a must ask question for every single parent out there. This question is more than just the crime rate of the neighborhood of the preschool as it looks at other safety factors such as access to emergency services such as fire, police, etc… It also looks at the measures taken by the preschool to ensure that the kids do not wander off outside the premises, even by mistake. Parents need to inquire about the safety certifications of the institution itself along with the training certificates of all of the teachers when it comes to emergency measures such as CPR and fire safety drills.
C. TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS & COMPATABILITY: Though most teachers may be qualified at any given preschool, it is also important to make sure that your child finds a teacher who is emotionally and mentally compatible with it. Of course, even the most qualified teacher may not be the right person to care for your child if he/she is constantly afraid of the teacher and dreads the idea of going to preschool every day. So teacher compatibility with your child is as important as anything else.
Have you already chosen a preschool for your child? What points did you consider and why?
Author Bio
Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She is a frequent contributor of nannypro . Learn more about Sara at her author page.
You make a really good point about how important it is for preschools to be able to transition children to kindergarten. I imagine that changing schools can be pretty stressful for many kids, so making that easier can do a lot for them. My daughter is especially quiet and likes having a routine. It sounds like a preschool with a good transition plan/program is a must for her.
You make a very good point about how capable children are of self-direction and learning, especially at a young age. That’s why it might help to find a preschool that isn’t too strict with its scheduling and classes. As the author points out, a much better solution might be to tailor classes in such a way that it encourages young students to do a lot of the learning themselves with the teachers acting like guides.
Thanks for the advice for choosing the best preschool. My son is old enough to start going now, and I want him to enjoy his first school experience. Asking other parents if their kids had a good transition to kindergarten is a great idea!
My sister just moved to a new neighborhood and she is looking for a good place to send her four year old daughter to preschool. I like your tip to consider the safety of the physical location of the preschool you’re thinking about. I think that’s a tip that will really help my sister find a safe and reliable place to send her daughter.