There are so many aspects to look at when deciding on your child’s education. For me, as a parent, I often find myself exhausted and overcome with all the different opinions and information out there when choosing what is best for my kids. From location to costs, to teaching techniques the list can be very daunting and overwhelming.
As a parent, we always want to do what is right for our child and overall for our family. When choosing a preschool, you want to take many different things into consideration. That is why we have compiled a list of tips for you while you are in the process of choosing the perfect preschool for your little one.
5 Tips on How to Choose the Right Preschool
1. Research all local preschools in your local area
One of the first things you can do when deciding on a preschool is to start making a list of all the schools in your vicinity. From there, you can start organizing them based on price, accreditation, schedule, and location. Sometimes, choosing a preschool based on which one is cheapest and closest to you is not necessarily the best practice. This is why creating a graph addressing different qualities per school is important for your pro and cons list.
2. Recommendations and/or Referrals
There is a reason why ‘word of mouth’ is so valuable and that is because we trust our friends and family to give us their honest opinion about things. Not only does getting a recommendation from another mom friend help in your decision making, but it is also great to have that referral for the preschool to help your child gain acceptance into your desired school.
3. Accreditations
Did you know that accreditation in preschools/child care centers is voluntary? Not every school/care center takes part in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which is why it is important to do your research on your preschool and if that is important to you, to narrow down that school to the ones that are accredited.
4. Curriculum and Methods
The curriculum for preschools varies from school to school and you want to make sure you select the curriculum that you feel best fits your future preschooler. Is it important for the curriculum to be hands-on? Are you looking for a preschool that leads in the Montessori Method? Is it important to have the children engaged actively in fostering social/emotional/mental development? There are many different aspects when it comes to methods and curriculum. Make sure you do your research and select the best fit for your family/little one.
5. Visiting
Once you narrow down your choices and decide on which preschool you would like to potentially send your little one to, you will want to schedule a visit. Visiting the preschool can be such a huge help in your decision-making process as it allows you to get a feel of the school and help decide if your child will thrive in that environment. We have compiled a list of questions below that you can be prepared to ask upon your tour/visit.
Prepared questions for the preschool visit:
- Is your school licensed? Accredited?
- What is the preschooler/teacher ratio?
- Is staff CPR and First Aid Trained?
- What method/curriculum is taught?
- What is your security and safety protocols?
- How do you handle discipline?
The Takeaway
At the end of the day, following your gut as a parent and choosing what is best for your little one is the most important. You know your future preschooler the best and have the intuition and tools to decide what environment your little one will thrive in.
About the Author
Ashland Hendrix from luvashland.com
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