Identifying a preschool for your child

Updated on: Tuesday, January 31, 2012

When your child is ready for a pre-school, as a parent, you will want to assess how well a preschool programme satisfies your needs and preferences.

First, decide what you priorities are should the preschool be near your workplace, or would one closer to home be more convenient? Look for a pre-school programme with a clear structure and an identifiable the content philosophy. Get hold of the schedule of daily activities and see if the activities will help support your childs development. The programme should be such that it apportions plenty of time for indoor and outdoor play; quiet time; group and individual activities; snacks; and free time for children to be involved in creative and imaginative play.

Television and videos should have a small part in the activities. If there is a programme that involves television and videos, content should be age appropriate and educationally sound and contributing to the development of the child.

Look for a preschool programme that is well equipped with a wide variety of toys and equipment to encourage childrens development, stimulating creativity and encouraging imaginative play.

Does the centre organise field trips? If so, what are the transportation arrangements like? Are field trips an appropriate part of activity pertaining to your childs age group?

Does the programme continually introduce new learning materials to keep the children interested?

Besides these, the group-size and the teacher-child ratio is very important.

As a parent it is essential to ascertain if the school is equipped to handle medical emergencies, it will be a good idea to check whether the programme has policies and practices to help keep children safe from illness and injury.

What learning milestones and goals does the school have for the kids; do they match your needs? What is their method of teaching; is it compatible with what you want and desire from the school. For example, story reading, free plays, role play, circle time, art and craft, music, social skills, verbal skills, etc.

How experienced are the staff, and how long have they been with the programme? The education and values of the director are often reflected in the staff. If the director values education and learning, so will the staff members.

If the programme boasts of some specific philosophy such as Montessori, Waldorf or Reggio Emilio ensure that there are qualifications supporting this specific training.

Clean and safe environments:

A good preschool programme has a clean facility. Everything about the facility needs to be clean: walls, floors, bathrooms, toys and equipment; food preparation areas if the children are given food at school. Find out if appropriate attention is given to details regarding allergies and dos and donts that a parent might be particular to, particularly with regard to food.

Try and observe how the staffs are with the children. See if they encourage healthy habits such as: hand washing; covering mouths when coughing; and using tissues for running noses.

See if the classes are well equipped to handle the different weather conditions-airy and bright, with furniture that is age appropriate.

Is the preschool a secure place? Can people walk in from the street and have direct contact with children? What is their policy regarding releasing children once the school is over, especially if it is someone other than a parent.

You can ask the following questions about the preschool:

Does the programme have a clear written statement of its goals and philosophy?

Ask about the curriculum, which should include a variety of activities appropriate for the children's ages and needs.

Do the goals address all areas of a child's development, including his or her social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development?

Does the preschool offer a balance of individual, small-group, and large-group activities; and spontaneous play and teacher-guided activities?

Is there a balance between rest and quiet periods and vigorous outdoor activities?

Do the preschool's activities encourage self-expression; help children to develop various motor skills; and regularly expose the children to literature, the language arts, music, science, and nature?

Does the staff encourage and respond to children's natural interests in reading, writing, and counting?

Watch the children interact with other children and adults, so as to build healthy relationships.

Preschool and child care programmes should build relationships with families: Programme staff should work with families to meet their child's needs. Ask how information and concerns are communicated between staff and families

Does the preschool provide snacks and meals that are sufficiently nutritious? Or is emphasis paid to healthy snacking if brought from home.

Does the staff pay attention to, and follow up on, the children's interests in the world around them?

Does the director have experience as a teacher?

Are the teachers trained in early childhood education?

Does the staff welcome parents as visitors and participants, communicate regularly with them, and respect their preferences and ideas?

In their work with children, do the teachers express warmth, interest, and respect for each child?

Are the teachers engaged with the children most of the time?

Conclusion

Most preschool programmes must conform to state regulations and satisfy minimum standards of health and safety. Even so, it is a good idea to ask the staff whether the programme is up to date and reviewed? Studies suggest that preschools are more likely to offer high-quality programmes when the number of children is small enough to allow the staff to get to know all the children and their families. Whenever possible, it is helpful to speak to other parents who have children in the programme about their experiences and recommendations.

Parents want what is best for their child, and this includes a preschool programme. To find the preschool programme for your child will take some time, research, and interviewing to determine if this is what is in the best interest of your child. So start your search by knowing what you want for an outcome, know the childs individual learning style, and find a preschool programme with a philosophy and programme that supports all these things. Most importantly, will your child be happy and develop a curiosity and love of learning? If the answer is yes, then you know this is the right preschool programme.

(The writer is an educationist, children's book author and director of Kinder Plume group of pre-schools)

Times of India

Identifying a preschool for your child

More Education news