If you are deciding whether attending preschool is right for your child, you likely have many questions swimming around in your mind! Somehow, the time to consider such a big step comes upon us quickly and leaves us feeling like time has simply flown by!
Preschool offers your child so many amazing opportunities. As our children get older and begin to spend time with people outside of their small circle, so many amazing learning opportunities present themselves! The chance to socialize and develop lifelong skills through learning and playing alongside peers is one of the most impactful benefits of a preschool education. Along with socializing, students begin to develop new skills that allow them to begin to be more independent and self sufficient. And most importantly, preschool offers a stage for your child to develop a love of learning.
While the decision to send your child to a preschool program is personal and something that each family must decide for themselves and their child, there is a lot of information that you can gather that will help make the decision easier.
1) Learn the school’s philosophy:
A school’s philosophy statement will give you a snapshot picture of what a school believes and what they hold to be most important. By reading a school’s philosophy you should have a good feeling of whether or not a particular school might be the right fit for you.
Consider if their philosophy explains
• Are they a play or academically based program? Some programs focus on the use of play and exploration as a method of teaching and learning, while other programs lean into a more traditional, academic method of teaching (e.g., worksheets).
• What type of curriculum will they cover? What will they learn?
• How do they handle discipline and behavioral problems within the class and school as a whole?
• What role do they view a student’s family playing in their education. Some schools welcome parent/family involvement, maybe even require it, while others feel that it is important to have boundaries and defined roles for both the school and family.
2) Visit the school:
Visiting the school before committing is vital! You will learn so much from a visit to help you decide if a school is right for you and your family. Not only does visiting the school give you a chance to meet the staff and talk in person, you also are able to get a feel for what your child will experience during the day.
When visiting, be sure to keep these things in mind:
• How does the physical space make you feel?
• Does it feel safe and secure?
• Is it warm and inviting? Or does it feel cluttered or over stimulating? Young children are so easily influenced by the physical space around them.
• Are examples of student work on the walls?
• Does the school provide visual communication for parents?
Trust your mama (or papa!) gut! If you feel good in the space, chances are, your child will too!
3) Meet and get to know the staff:
When choosing a preschool for your child, you are choosing a group of people to partner with you to help your child learn and grow. Be sure to take time to talk to the staff at the preschools you are considering. The staff at the preschool will be people interacting with your child each day, so getting to know them and how they interact with you and your child on a visit can tell you so much!
• When you visit take note of how the staff interacts with you and your child. Do they talk to just you as the adult, or do they engage with your child?
• What is their body language like? Do they make a point to get down to your child’s level to talk?
• Ask yourself, “did I click with them?” It is important to have a good working relationship with the teachers and staff at your child’s school, so it is important to feel as though you “click” with the people that will be with your child!
4) The “business” questions
While so much of picking the right school for your child is based on how you feel, there are certain things that are black and white details that have to be considered. Some things you should be certain to ask about:
• Be sure that the tuition and payment schedule fits for your family’s needs.
• Ask about class size and student/teacher ratios. Be sure that you are comfortable with the number of students they allow in a class.
• What is the school’s schedule? Be sure to familiarize yourself with when they are open.
• What is the school’s inclement weather policy? It is important to know what you will need to plan for in the event that bad weather arrises.
There are a lot of “checks” you can mark on your ideal wish list for a preschool for your child, but in the end, the most important thing for any parent it to simply follow your instincts. You know your child better than anyone else in the world, so you are going to be the very best judge of what place will be the best fit for them!
Making this decision can feel daunting, but it is also really exciting! It means that your little one is growing and changing, and that is so amazing! Good luck mom and dad. You are doing a great job!
Do you need some help making that first step?!
Check out Creative Caps Preschool in Salem, now enrolling for fall!
Creative Caps Preschool is a half day, play based preschool for children ages 3-5. We have two programs, a preschool program for children 3 & 4 years old and a pre-kindergarten program for children ages 4 & 5 who will enter kindergarten the following year.
We are a community conscious preschool where we strive to teach students that they are a part of a larger group, all working towards common goals. Our intention is to help children have a greater understanding of their community, and how they can help to make that community a better place.
We believe that all children grow and develop at their own pace and while it is important to ensure children are ready for kindergarten and for life experiences, we also feel they should not be hurried through childhood. Our goal is to provide a safe learning environment where children can simply be children.
We would love the opportunity to have you visit our school for a tour to meet us and learn more about our special program!
