Most experts in early childhood education tout the benefits of preschool. Study show that sending children the public and private preschools get some better prepared for kindergarten, elementary school and high school. It has been shown the children who attended preschool are more likely to go on to attend and finish college. Choosing the best preschool for your child Candy challenging but is doable. Here are some tips to help you in finding a good preschool for your child.
- Begin your search early. Even before your child is ready to attend preschool, you need to start the process of choosing the best preschool for you and your situation. Your search should begin at least a year before you plan to send child to preschool. Generally, most preschools allow parents schedule in person tours of their facilities between October I’m January. Because most good preschool programs fill up early it is important to start looking at schools long before you’re ready to roll your child. The admissions process varies from school to school, some have rolling admissions and others have wait lists.
- Talk to other parents you know. You know people who have children and you know people who sent his children to preschool. Find out which schools to send them to, what made them pick the schools their children attend, how they found this school they went with add if they think it would be right for your child. Different preschools offer different kinds of programs and when you are choosing the best preschool for your child you need to make sure they offer you what you need.
- Visit the school. You should do your research online and talk to other parents about preschools in the area nothing replaces visiting the school to talk to teachers and staff about the admissions process, philosophy for teaching and the programs they offer. Your child is going to spend a lot of time at this facility therefore you need to be comfortable with it and spending some time with the teachers and staff will make the process easier for everyone. Pay close attention to the way the students, teachers and staff interact with each other. It is a very good idea to visit to school during the normal school day. Take some time to look at a few classrooms and observe how the students interact with the staff.
- Ask a lot of questions. Ask the management about the schools philosophy for teaching and discipline. Ask about the staff turnover rate and what training their teachers and other staff are required to have. It is important, when choosing the best preschool, to go for a facility that treats its staff well. This is a very important point in your child’s development and a good preschool teacher can set the tone for their entire education. You want your child to be excited about learning. You also need to pick the school that understands the importance of playtime a nap time. If you plan to send your child for a full day of preschool, they will need time in the afternoon to rest. You also need to find a school that shares your philosophy. It could be very confusing for child to learn one set of rules at home and another at school.
- Ask for references. Good, reputable preschools will have no problem letting you talk to the parents of current students. Make it a point to reach out to these people and get their thoughts about the preschool.
- Listen to your gut. It matters little if the school’s staff the teachers say the right things if the school gives you a bad feeling. This is a place that will have a great impact on your child’s development. if you feel something is off, wrong or you just get an uneasy feeling after viewing the school and talking to the people work there, there is probably a good reason for it. Before you write off the school due to your gut, take some time to talk to other parents. Get the feeling persists, find another school.
Choosing the best preschool for your child can be done with some work, research and time.