Choosing A Preschool

As the number of moms entering or returning to the workforce increases the demand for quality preschool increases. Preschools are designed to cater to children from 3 to 5 years of age and parents want to be sure their children are receiving quality care. Here are some guidelines to choosing a preschool

Preschool is more than child care. Of course the care of your child is certainly of the utmost importance but a preschool should provide stimulating learning experiences for your child that go beyond traditional child care.

As the old saying goes “it’s a women’s intuition,” well trust that intuition when it comes to a preschool. If you feel a programs not right for your child then it probably isn’t. However here are some basics that every preschool should offer:

The children should be encouraged to create their own writings and stories. There should be an element of creativity and their day should not be spent copying from workbooks.

The children should have ample space to play and experiment, and to spend time alone if they want to. They children should not be crowded or confined for any length of time.

The children should be working on individual and group projects. There should be time to learn independence and times to learn cooperation and team spirit. Make sure that all the children are not being instructed to do exactly the same thing like little robots.

The children should look happy, eager, enthusiastic, and engaged. They should not look sad, tense, or bored.

Teachers should be interacting with children on a one to one basis to encourage problem solving and independent thinking.

Academic preschools take teaching to a more academic level introducing the three R’s. The children attending thee academic preschools get a bit of a jump on other students when they reach kindergarten or grade one. And studies have shown that young children’s minds are like a sponge. They learning quickly and enthusiastically.

However the last few years are again seeing a rethinking of what a preschool should offer. It seems we are going full circle back to a teaching environment that is more concentrated on learning from play and less concentrated on the academics. Some believe this to be a more holistic approach.

Which ever type of program you choose there are specific things that the preschool should offer your child:

Creativity
Activities that encourage a child to think and act creatively. These include art projects, acting, singing, and a variety of other program options.

Choices
Your child should have opportunities to make choices throughout the day. These choices should range from simple to more complex to help your child develop independent thinking skills.

Interaction
Your child should spend a good part of the day interacting with other children and with the teachers or care givers. This interaction should lead to the development of new vocabulary and independent thinking, as well as increase the child’s self esteem.

Playing
Let’s not forget these are young children and although learning is important it does not need to be accomplished traditional. Play offers a valuable source of learning and experimenting, including role playing. It helps children begin to understand the world around them.

Discover
Your child should face daily situations that allow him or her to exercise their curiosity and to discover something new about the world we live in.

The preschool teacher has a very important job to do. The teacher can make the difference between a child that has a thirst for learning and one that simply plods along. The preschool teacher will play an important role in the academic and social development of your child. So do your research and choose wisely!

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