Preschool is a great choice for getting a child prepared for school. However, not all preschools are created equally. Sometimes a preschool run out of someone’s home is better than an organized one with a retail type location. So, what can you do to determine what the best preschool is for your child? Consider the following:
Credentials: What kind of credentials do they have if any? What qualifies the person running the preschool to do so? What qualifies the teacher to teach? When choosing a preschool, you want to find someone who has taught for years, has a degree in teaching, a knack for it, or something to recommend them.
Visiting: When selecting a preschool, choose one that allows parents to visit. You should be allowed to observe the class, what is taught, the methods used to teach etc. It is important that the preschool is not opposed to a parent viewing the classes.
Hours: When selecting a preschool, choose one that has hours that work for you and your child. You may want morning, you may want afternoon. You may want two days a week, or three, or five. The idea is to find a preschool that meets all of your requirements, including teaching in a time that works for your schedule.
Safety: What precautions does the school take to ensure your child is safe? Do they have a safety procedure they can review with the children in case of emergencies? Do they allow kids to leave without a parent? Is there a sign in and sign out sheet? What things does the school do to help keep your child safe?
Nutrition: Is your child going to have any snacks while they are there? Some preschools serve food, while others do not. If you choose one that does, check with them to see what kind of nutrition guidelines they follow. You probably don’t want your child coming home from preschool all hopped up on sugary treats and snacks.
Discipline policy: If your child is in trouble, what does the teacher do? Kids will act out, and there is likely to be a time when the teacher has to discipline. Because of this fact, it is a good idea to talk to each preschool you are considering about their particular discipline policy, and find out what they do. Is it a time out? Nose in the corner? A talking to? Make sure it fits with your personal style, or that you are comfortable with their choice.
School philosophy: What does the school promote? Some schools are all about creativity and imagination, while others are more focused on facts and reasoning. Would you rather your child color trees green, and stay inside the lines? Or do you want them to explore their imaginative side and color them whatever color fits for the day, and say who cares about lines? Every school is different, so determine what you want.
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