How to Choose a Preschool - Choose a preschool that is best for your child

It seems as if more and more children are entering preschool prior to Kindergarten these days. Pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) programs certainly have many benefits, and it's up to you to choose a preschool that best fits your child's needs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• time
• vehicle
• yellow pages (optional)

1. Find the preschools in your area. Drive around, ask friends for references, or just look in the yellow pages. Call them up and see what their rates are and what they offer. Check out their websites. However, don't choose a preschool based on the secretary's nice voice or their awesome website. Once you've narrowed it down to about five or so, schedule a visit to each of them to observe a classroom and look for the following things.

2. Observe the social interaction between teachers and students as well as student to student. School is not just about academic learning. It is also about developing the skills needed to get along with others, learning how to share, taking turns, handling conflict, and listening to one another. Watch how teachers handle misbehavior and conflict and how the students treat each other.

3. A good preschool program will also teach your child pre-literacy skills (such as learning all the letters of the alphabet), basic math concepts (such as number quantity and recognition), and basic matching and sequencing skills. Choose a preschool where student artwork and academics are displayed on a bulletin board or in the classroom.

4. Exposure to different types of materials and activities is another benefit of preschool. Working at a sand table, playing with blocks, climbing on a jungle gym, listening to poetry and songs, going on a field trip... these are just a few of the many experiences your child will benefit from in a fun learning environment. Be sure to inquire about these activities.

Tips & Warnings

• If this will be your child's first time at school, you may want to try a half-day program to start. Many preschools offer this option. Your child is there from 8am to 12pm, and you can decide if you want her to go every day or only a few days per week.
• There can be disadvantages to sending your child to preschool if the program is not a quality program with knowledgeable and experienced teachers. It can damage your child's attitude towards school, and can lead to behavior problems and lack of interest. If the children are not monitored properly, they will also learn negative social skills such as teasing, bullying, and fighting. If the learning environment is not positive, or the teachers seem overwhelmed and distracted, look elsewhere! This is the time your child should be brimming with excitement about learning. The last thing you want to do is let someone stamp out their curiosity and individualism.