Susan GrahamChoosing a Preschool for your child
June 4th 2008 19:00
You can find lots of information on the web telling you what questions to ask when searching for a preschool for your child, but I am going to tell you things that you may not find just searching the web from an inside view.
The first preschool that you might be interested in is a brand new school. Why? In a new school everything is clean and shiny. Brand new schools are not always the best choice. A new school, more than likely, will have lots of kinks to work out and they will have a pretty large staff turnover rate. Just because a school may be clean and everyone that you meet there may be excited to see you, does not make it the right place to leave your child. New schools will not have accreditations either, at least not the accreditations that you need to be looking for. You will be better off finding a school that is more established and that has a reputation in the area. It is imperative that your child is on a schedule in school, so he or she knows what to expect everyday. New schools are still working out the kinks and there will likely be many changes the first couple years of school.
When you are selecting a school, do not call ahead to make an appt to come in for a tour. If a preschool will show it to you only by appointment, then this can also be a red flag. You want to be able to walk into a preschool at any given moment and be able to see what is happening. If a school wants you to make an appointment, you are not seeing the real school in action. And NEVER put your child in a preschool that does not welcome a parent in at any time. If they try to say that you can’t pop in then they may have something to hide. This being said, this does not give you the right to come in and disrupt class or routine, but you should be welcome in the center at all times. For piece of mind you can peak in, but don’t let your child see you, or the other children because this could cause a disruption.
Ask a facility about the staff turnover rate… to double check on if you are getting the true lowdown, when you meet the teacher the first question that you ask is “how long have you been working here?” and then ask them “how long have you been a preschool teacher”. This information is important because you do not want to put your child in a school where the teachers are constantly changing. Children need routine in order to thrive. They need to feel secure when they are away from you. If a preschool has a large turnover rate you also don’t want your child there because that means that the teachers are not well taken care of by the owners and unhappy teachers will not give your child their all.
Check for a daily schedule and see that they follow it. When you take a tour and ask to see the class schedule, check to see if what the children are doing matches up to what the schedule says. It has been my experience that anyone can put a schedule on the wall, but that doesn’t mean that they follow it. Once again, structure is very important in a young child’s life.
Look for a clean school. Is there a diaper changing area? Do you see bleach water and paper towels? What about tissues? Are there sinks that the children can reach to wash their hands? What about the bathrooms? Are they kept clean? Do not be afraid to ask to see these areas. How often are the toys cleaned? Do they have a daily cleaning checklist? What happens if a child has a contagious disease? Are the other parents notified?
Are snacks and meals supplied for the kids? If they are you need to ask if the portions are limited to the children. I worked for a corporate preschool and they supplied lunch and snacks… what they didn’t tell parents were that the children were only allowed so much food. It wasn’t all you can eat. Children need quality nutrition; it shouldn’t be based on money. Watch out for the corporate preschools because in many cases the owner does not have a degree in childcare and they do not have experience in the field. There are also corporate policies that you need to ask for when pondering such school.
Get online; ask your neighbors… word of mouth is usually one of the best ways to find a good school. And when your child starts the school ask him many questions every day so that you can see how he feels about it.
Ask a lot of questions and when you find a preschool that gives you the answers you want, great… just remember that your job is not up yet, pop in every once in a while, build a rapport with the teachers, and continue to ask questions. Parents who are active in the school will have a much better experience than ones who aren’t. Be just as interested in the preschool your child is attending as you would be elementary, junior, high and even college. The preschool years will set the tone for the rest of your child’s life. They are very important years. Please make an informative decision.
The first preschool that you might be interested in is a brand new school. Why? In a new school everything is clean and shiny. Brand new schools are not always the best choice. A new school, more than likely, will have lots of kinks to work out and they will have a pretty large staff turnover rate. Just because a school may be clean and everyone that you meet there may be excited to see you, does not make it the right place to leave your child. New schools will not have accreditations either, at least not the accreditations that you need to be looking for. You will be better off finding a school that is more established and that has a reputation in the area. It is imperative that your child is on a schedule in school, so he or she knows what to expect everyday. New schools are still working out the kinks and there will likely be many changes the first couple years of school.
When you are selecting a school, do not call ahead to make an appt to come in for a tour. If a preschool will show it to you only by appointment, then this can also be a red flag. You want to be able to walk into a preschool at any given moment and be able to see what is happening. If a school wants you to make an appointment, you are not seeing the real school in action. And NEVER put your child in a preschool that does not welcome a parent in at any time. If they try to say that you can’t pop in then they may have something to hide. This being said, this does not give you the right to come in and disrupt class or routine, but you should be welcome in the center at all times. For piece of mind you can peak in, but don’t let your child see you, or the other children because this could cause a disruption.
Ask a facility about the staff turnover rate… to double check on if you are getting the true lowdown, when you meet the teacher the first question that you ask is “how long have you been working here?” and then ask them “how long have you been a preschool teacher”. This information is important because you do not want to put your child in a school where the teachers are constantly changing. Children need routine in order to thrive. They need to feel secure when they are away from you. If a preschool has a large turnover rate you also don’t want your child there because that means that the teachers are not well taken care of by the owners and unhappy teachers will not give your child their all.
Check for a daily schedule and see that they follow it. When you take a tour and ask to see the class schedule, check to see if what the children are doing matches up to what the schedule says. It has been my experience that anyone can put a schedule on the wall, but that doesn’t mean that they follow it. Once again, structure is very important in a young child’s life.
Look for a clean school. Is there a diaper changing area? Do you see bleach water and paper towels? What about tissues? Are there sinks that the children can reach to wash their hands? What about the bathrooms? Are they kept clean? Do not be afraid to ask to see these areas. How often are the toys cleaned? Do they have a daily cleaning checklist? What happens if a child has a contagious disease? Are the other parents notified?
Are snacks and meals supplied for the kids? If they are you need to ask if the portions are limited to the children. I worked for a corporate preschool and they supplied lunch and snacks… what they didn’t tell parents were that the children were only allowed so much food. It wasn’t all you can eat. Children need quality nutrition; it shouldn’t be based on money. Watch out for the corporate preschools because in many cases the owner does not have a degree in childcare and they do not have experience in the field. There are also corporate policies that you need to ask for when pondering such school.
Get online; ask your neighbors… word of mouth is usually one of the best ways to find a good school. And when your child starts the school ask him many questions every day so that you can see how he feels about it.
Ask a lot of questions and when you find a preschool that gives you the answers you want, great… just remember that your job is not up yet, pop in every once in a while, build a rapport with the teachers, and continue to ask questions. Parents who are active in the school will have a much better experience than ones who aren’t. Be just as interested in the preschool your child is attending as you would be elementary, junior, high and even college. The preschool years will set the tone for the rest of your child’s life. They are very important years. Please make an informative decision.
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