Choosing a preschool for your child requires knowing what you want in a preschool and then asking questions to see if the schools in your town match what you’re looking for.
There are many philosophies about working with young children. Some programs offer academic curricula and others do not. Some offer a pre-reading program and some do not. Some offer many social opportunities and some do not.
So what questions can you ask to see if the program offered is right for you?
Let’s start with school hours. Some schools open at 7:00 am for before school care and some schools open at 9:00 am when the preschool day begins. If you need to be at work by 8:00 am, you’ll first need to narrow your choices to those schools that offer before-school care.
It is my suggestion that you visit the school without your child. Talk to the school principal and ask him the best time of day to visit. You will learn more by visiting during indoor versus outdoor time.
Most schools have a rough schedule of what kids do while they’re at school. Does this schedule fit what you hoped to have for your child? My children went to two different schools. My oldest daughter needed more structure. At the school she attended, the children went from class to class. One class had manipulatives like puzzles, while another room had dress-up clothes and another room had art supplies. Finally, the last room was what I called the academic room. You could find letters and numbers and books in this room. This system worked wonderfully for her.
My other daughter went to a school where there was no academics, but socialization was constant. This fit very well with the child that she was and met both her needs and mine.
Therefore, it is very possible to find a good school with a great program, but one that is not the right one for your child.
I also suggest meeting with a kindergarten teacher when you make your choice to find out what the kindergarten teacher expects to see at YOUR school when your child enters the kindergarten classroom on the first day.
Here are some questions to ask when you visit:
1. Do you teach reading and writing? Remember, there is no right or wrong answer. You as a parent need to know if this is important to you. As I mentioned, for one of my daughters it was quite important and for the other child, it was not on my list of what was important at all.
2. What is the adult/child ratio that the school tries to maintain? Each state dictates what the state requires, but all schools have their own set of guidelines within the state system. My oldest daughter was in a school that did not use teacher aides. However, they kept the classes small. My youngest daughter was in a school that used teacher aides, so the ratio was very small, like 3:1, even though the state allowed a much higher ratio. With more children in the class, there are also more opportunities for playmates.
3. What is the sick child policy? Each school has a different sick child policy. As a mother, I did not want my children to be around sick children all the time. On the other hand, I knew that if my daughter had a runny nose, they would probably call me to pick her up.
4. How often are new toys bought and old ones thrown away? This was important to me, both for safety and because the longer a toy is around, the more germs live on it. At some point, the dirt is no longer washed away. Also, times change and new toys come onto the market. Also, when it comes to items like puzzles, the pieces will disappear. I wanted my son to be able to complete the puzzle, not have a single piece missing.
5. What is the communication system between the school and the parents? Some schools send home a monthly calendar for the upcoming month, while other schools send a letter on Friday summarizing the week under review. Most schools have conferences. Moms like to hear how wonderful their preschooler is. If the school detects what they think might be a problem, such as a hearing, speech, vision, or even a behavior problem, what is their method of letting you know?
6. How are the children separated? Is it by age? Are there multi-age classrooms? Does the system that this school uses to develop the classes meets your needs and those of your child? Every child is different. My oldest daughter did better with children the same age as hers. My youngest daughter did very well with children of many ages.
7. What are the food rules at this school? Do the children bring their own lunch? Are snacks served? Is the school peanut free? Some preschools opt to go peanut-free to accommodate children who have peanut allergies. Do you serve hot lunches? If so, ask for a month’s menu to see what foods are offered.
Without your child, it is important that you observe a class. Do children interact with each other and with adults? Do children play both alone and with others? Are you looking at activities and toys that allow the child to be unique and creative? Or are all the children told to make a flower of the same color? Children are children. If you see two children arguing, how does the teacher solve the problem? How big are the classrooms? Is there enough space for different children to play with different items? For example, is there room for two girls to play dress-up while two boys build a train track? Where are the restrooms in relation to the classroom?
Plan to visit the school during the delivery time. Do children anxiously run to their classrooms or are most children not happy to be there?
If you think the school matches what you want, ask if you can bring your child for a day. Most schools will allow a test day. If your child is happy, you have just found the right school to enroll your child.