How To Determine Whether A Preschool Is Best Suitable For Your Child
How to Determine Whether a Preschool Is Best Suitable For Your Child
If you run a ‘Preschools near me’ search you’ll be presented with a number of schools. More or less, every school you search for shall provide play-way learning methods that foster emotional and social development of your child. So, it can become highly confusing to select the school meant for your toddler. Preschools offer fantastic learning opportunities through indoor and outdoor classrooms, field trips and introduction of basic math, language and science, however all this shall be rendered useless if your child is not satisfied, feels uneasy or uncomfortable at your selected school.
- Know your child
The first and foremost aspect to consider before selecting a school is to thoroughly know your child’s needs and wants. Sit with him, have a conversation in a playful manner and ask what his preferences are, what he expects out of a school and whatever fear or insecurities he might have. Of course, you can’t satisfy all of your child’s needs but getting a brief idea of his expectations can help you sort amongst prospective schools. Moreover, if his expectations are way too unrealistic, you can even explain him lovingly how a school functions and what changes he shall face in a different environment. Not only this, being well-versed with your child’s fears will enable you to make them go away. A healthier relationship with your little girl or boy is an added bonus of this conversation!
- Know the teaching approach
Each school that you’ll visit would be based on a well-tested approach, each of which is beneficial and highly rewarding. However, there are some differences in them which must be researched well. Every approach is unique and successful in its own way. As per your upbringing, you should select one that is in sync with what you’ve taught your child. The Montessori Method, the Reggio Emilia Approach, the Waldorf Approach, the Bank Street Approach and the Scope Approach are the key educational philosophies around which modules are prepared, so parents should research about each before visiting a school. This way you can choose a school that best fits your preferences and your child’s needs.
- Understand the preschool setting
Once you’re familiar with the approach of the formal educational philosophy, the next aspect to determine is the school’s setting. This is very important to understand whether your child will be able to cope up with the challenging environment of a preschool. Based on the conversation that you had with your young one, you can select a school that you think shall suit him or her the best. Teacher-led, child-led, faith-based, cooperative, developmentally appropriate and pre-kindergarten are some of the primary kinds of settings around which a school’s curriculum is based. Researching on these is surely a good move. Your research should include factors such as what’s different in each setting, how they impact your child individually, which is the one that enables the highest degree of emotional and social development and how your child can adjust in any prospective setting.
- Check the reviews
Why not benefit from a tech-savvy world! Once you’ve shortlisted some schools from your ‘Preschools near me’ google search, it’s now time to know what others have to say. Assess the ratings of the selected schools, take feedback from parents whose children already attend/attended the said school and check the preschool’s website for any awards, distinctions or recognition it has received previously.
By following these four simple steps, you can readily choose a preschool that’s best suited for your child’s needs. All you require is time, patience, smart work and excellent researching skills to understand your child’s need as well as what your selected list of schools provides. A good preschool can do wonders to boost your child’s early development, hence, choose wisely! Good luck!
