Picking a Preschool

I am currently trying to decide what kind of Preschool would fit my son's need best. This article has definitely helped me to make a better decision. I thought I would share it with you for those who are going through the same thing.
Good Luck and let me know what is important to you when it comes to picking a good Preschool.





February 11, 2008
Picking a preschool
Filed under: Preschool — Tags: choosing a school, montessori, Parenting, Preschool, waldorf — admin @ 7:16 am
Jennifer Merritt

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the presidential primaries fall in the same months as preschool open houses. When you think about it, the scenarios aren’t all that different: in one corner, you have the candidates competing over your vote; in the other, preschool directors vying for the chance to aid in molding your child. The choice isn’t always an easy one, and while we can’t help you choose between Barack, Clinton, Huckabee and McCain, we can assist you in picking the right preschool.

Before you even pick up the phone to start making appointments, the first step is to write an essay about your child’s personality and her likes and dislikes, says Lonna Corder, director of The Playgroup and of the San Francisco-based Montessori pre-school run in the home of philanthropist Ann Getty, as well as a parenting-consultant owner of Lonna’s Individual Parenting Plan. To do this, “watch and listen to your child,” Corder advises, noting that writing down your child’s personality traits will help you determine his or her preferred method of learning. “If your child spends all day doing dramatic play, you need a cognitive play-based school,” Corder says. “If your child likes to count blocks, he might be a fit for a Montessori school.”

Though there are scores of methods for teaching pre-schoolers, the most common categories you’ll hear about are play-based, Montessori and Waldorf. Play-based schools are the most common, where a child’s day is mostly filled with free play; the thought being that such a structure allows children to develop cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills. Montessori schools focus on self-directed learning, while the Waldorf method promotes learning through practical activities.

The A, B, C’s of choosing curricula
No matter which method you opt for, the critical factor is that the school provides a coherent and flexible curriculum. “The curriculum should guide, but not dictate, the teacher,” explains Dr. Ellen Frede, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, which lists suggestions of 10 things parents should look for in a preschool on its web site. “For example, so many curricula have a theme during one particular month about family. If during that lesson the kids become fascinated by what jobs parents have, but the teacher steers away from that because that’s not in the curriculum until spring, well, that doesn’t make any sense. It should follow what the kids are interested in.”

The best way to get a feel for the curriculum is for you and your child to spend at least two hours in the classroom with the teacher he would be placed with, says Dr. Frede. “Your child is going to spend lots and lots of time there, so any program that won’t let you do it, you shouldn’t go to,” she says. “Parents go on much longer visits for college — do you think a 3 or 4 year old can tell you what’s happening at a school when you’re not there?”

Preschool for parents
In addition to your child’s needs, you also must pay attention to what you’re looking for in a preschool. One important question to ask is how the school disciplines children. If the school advocates timeouts and you’ve banned them at home, the school won’t be a good fit for your child or you. “You need to ask yourself if your parenting needs are in line with the school,” says Tammy Gold, a New Jersey-based psychotherapist, certified life coach, certified parent coach and founder of Gold Parent Coaching. “You don’t want the school to undo all the work you’ve done at home.”

Other questions Gold recommends asking are whether you can drop off and pick up your child at any time of the day. If you work late, will the center be able to accommodate you? Another important consideration is how involved parents are expected to be in the program. “If you’re a working mother and are going to be disappointed because you can’t make reading day each week at 3 p.m., then that school is not right for you,” Gold says. “Beyond the approaches, you have to be comfortable there. If you’re not, your child will feel that.”

Trust your intuition
Most important however, is for parents to remember that “there is no definitive book on this,” says Corder. “If you have a gut reaction about a place — good or bad — listen to that.”

Also tune out the competitive nature of some parents, just as you ignore the political mudslinging in the presidential primaries. “Nursery school is not going to make or break your child—it simply provides what being at home can’t: socialization,” Gold says. When she encounters parents panicking about preschool, she asks, “Do you have cold hard facts that this school is best for your child or is better than the one down the street? Do you remember what your nursery school was like? Probably not.”

Finally, Dr. Frede suggests putting yourself in your child’s small shoes. “Ask yourself, ‘Would I want to spend eight hours a day here?’”

Six Question Suggestions:

How often will I hear from the teacher?
Can I come by when I want?
If my child isn’t getting along with another child, will you let me know that?
Do you monitor your program’s quality each year?
On average, what do your head teachers and assistant teachers make?
What are your policies on sick and vacation leave for teachers?

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