It’s evident kids grow faster and it’s no secret that a child who goes through preschool enjoy a smooth transition into middle school level of education. Although it may seem early and probably worthless to start thinking of preschool now, it pays to begin your preschool hunting early in advance. But according to three separate studies, about 80% of children who go through preschool programs performed better than their peers who didn’t participate in early childhood education programs.
While there are many best schools available for your child, finding the right preschool is often a daunting task. However, if you carefully consider certain factors before going to look for a preschool for your kid, you can be surprised how easy your hunt can become. After identifying few preschools, it’s advisable that you shoot application to all of them. This way, you can have alternative options in case you fail to secure your first choice.
Below are few pointers and factors to look at when you’re searching for the right preschool for your precious little one.
1. Define Your Priorities and Preferences
The first thing you need to do is ask yourself some serious questions. Are you looking for a preschool closer to where you live, or near your place of work? What sort of curriculum do you want your child to learn? This is very important because preschools differ in programs and philosophies. You need to write down every little requirement you think will help you to properly evaluate different programs.
2. Do a thorough research
After you’ve set your priorities right and have a clear understanding of the type of preschool you’d want for your child, it’s now the right time to research and collect information from some reputable sources. One important source of information is your family and friends. Get to hear what they have to say about different preschools around and their personal preferences. This is a source of information you can trust and depend on to make the right choice for your child’s education.
In case you are not satisfied with personal preferences, and you still want information on the most reputable preschools, there are some experts you can ask. For instance, by contacting various child care helpline, you can get referred to several preschools in your area and give you vital information to make a decision. However, even with proper accreditation preschools, you are not guaranteed they are the best option for your child. While doing your research, you might also consider going through child care websites where you can find a list of best preschools around you.
3. Time for some pre-vists
Although consulting over the phone can yield great results, you need to to get the first-hand experience but that isn’t possible until you go down there and check it all for yourself. Pre-visiting a preschool will give you more information that you’d otherwise miss out over phone calls. Such important information includes fees, vacation schedule, nutrition structure, hour, programs and philosophies. You can get all these details from the director of the school, and depend on how the director respond to your questions, you can learn more about that particular institution.
Lastly, other vital elements you may need to look at include, the teacher-child ratio, number of students per class, how teachers interact with children, curriculum, staff turnover and basically anything that you think might affect you child within the preschool setting.
Typically, top preschools will feature a robust and flexible curriculum programs alongside extra-curriculum activities such as art, music and games. It’s important that your kid grows into a holistic human with good academic, social and physical attributes.
