A Parent's Checklist to Picking a Preschool for your Child
December 18, 2019
The first decision parents often make for their children's education, preschool deadlines come up fast. Get your bearings with a 5 part checklist.
- Start searching: it's probably best to, believe it or not, start looking at schools at least a year prior to attending. Look in the area, ask neighbors, get in touch with schools. Check back in with schools that interest you - some often have waiting lists. Try attending some preschool fairs to get recommendations and a lay of the land.
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Schedule a tour for those on your short list. Schools will have open houses or you can schedule a tour through they office. At your visit, here are some good questions to ask:
- Do you have a guidebook?
- What are the qualifications and credentials of the program director and teachers?
- What ways does the school keep parents informed about their children's progress? What's the typical progression over two years?
- How many students are there for each teacher? (Tip: Rule of thumb, for 3 year olds, 12 students for every teacher is often recommended by most state authorities and organizations)
- Understand how often and how long you plan for your child to attend. Two years? Half-day? Full time? Are there special needs? If half-day, will you need additional childcare (Tip: Montessori schools often have longer days)?
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There are five domains of school readiness according to the National School Readiness Initiative. As you start to narrow down a list, it's good to assess if the program supports each:
- Language Development
- Cognition and General Knowledge
- Social and Emotional Maturity
- Approaches to Learning
- Physical Development
- Does your child need potty training? Many schools require that children be potty trained, but not all. Figure out a plan depending on your child.
