Your Guide To Choosing The Best Preschool For Your Kid

Do you feel your child is ready for school?

Well, congratulations on the completion of yet another milestone! 🙂

So, here comes another mind-boggling task your way, i.e., finding the perfect preschool for your kid!

We understand how excited you are for this phase of your child’s life, but at the same time, nervousness takes a toll on you. (For obvious reasons!)

What if we tell you that finding the best preschool for your kid does not have to be as daunting as it seems?

Believe us or not, but, all you need to do is read this article till the end. Because by that time, you will be acquainted with the entire know-how of it.

We have mentioned each and every detail that every parent like you needs to keep in mind and all other important things you need to consider when choosing a preschool for your little one.

So, let’s get started…

• Have clarity of thought

First things first.

As parents, you need to be clear in your mind regarding certain things. Start off by considering your family’s needs and budget.

Dive down into discussing the following things in detail:

1. Whether you need a full-day preschool for your kid with extended care or a half-day preschool program would suffice
2. If you are looking to enroll your child in a preschool that has a specific educational philosophy
3. If your little one would perform well in a home setting or a classroom setting

Think and articulate over these with your family. Once you come to a conclusion, you’re ready for the next step, i.e., exploring.

• Explore your options

Once you are clear in your minds regarding the aforementioned things, it’s time to start exploring.

1. Research your area well and create a list of schools in it.
2. Catch up randomly with neighbors whose kids are enrolled in a preschool. Chat a bit and get to know their thoughts.
3. Research online and look out for ratings and reviews
4. While you consider all these, make sure to keep these in alignment with your family’s needs like proximity, budget, etc.

• Start touring

After you’ve successfully carried out thorough research and were able to narrow down your options, it’s time to start visiting the preschools, finally! (obviously without the kids)

The idea is to gain in-depth knowledge about the overall setting, the educational philosophy, teaching techniques, and others such. It allows you to experience things in reality, contrary to what you saw on the internet or heard from someone. Besides, it also gives you an idea of how a particular institution operates and if it shall be a good fit for your young one.

Signs of a Good Preschool?

1. Encourages the child’s growth by providing him learning opportunities
2. Sufficient playtime for kids
3. Motivates parents to stop by and spend time in their preschool

Factors to keep in mind when evaluating a preschool for your kid

While you’re touring a pre-school, there are certain factors that are instrumental as they help you make an informed choice. And, we have enlisted the same below.

• Staff: Their behavior towards students

It is the staff of a preschool that makes or breaks an enrollment. As it is, they are the ones whom parents have trusted with their child in the first place, and they are ones responsible for their growth at least in the school premises.

So, it is crucial to analyze the staff and their behavior towards students when touring a preschool. Wait until you witness their attitude towards kids and how interested they seem in handling them.

Besides, look for the necessary care and concern; you’ll be able to gauge it through their actions. It reflects in their mannerism. Plus, you can talk to the teachers, and their zeal for teaching shall reflect. You may ask about their educational qualification and if they underwent any sort of training for the same or not.

Space: How Child-Friendly it is

The next thing you need to pay attention to is how child-friendly the entire space is. Take a look at the playground, classrooms, whether they are adequately sized, and if there is enough space for moving around.

See if the kids’ work is featured on the classroom walls, boards, and others such. This gives you an idea of how supportive the school is of them. Space should feel like it were of the kids.

• The Schedule

Getting an idea of the class schedule is important. You must know how long the children are allowed to play, what all activities they are expected to participate in, to mention a few.

Alongside this, it is important for the kids to have class time, also known as calendar time. They must interact with their groups and have personal one on one sessions with the teacher. It is vital to their overall growth.

• The Curriculum

Having a brief chat with the teachers or the preschool director to gain knowledge about the curriculum of the school is a must. You should know what all things are taught, the activities that are encouraged, and others such.

Basically, the aim is to know if the preschool focuses on producing budding all-rounders!

Important questions to ask when touring a preschool

For your convenience, we have also prepared a list of questions that you must seek answers to when touring a preschool. And they are as follows:

1. What is your educational philosophy?
2. What is the overall qualification of teachers here?
3. What is the student-teacher ratio here?
4. How do you deal with students when they act fussy?
5. What are all the activities encouraged here?
6. What are the security measures taken on the part of the management?
7. How often are personal sessions conducted with kids? And for how long?
8. Can you brief me on what is a typical day for kids here?
9. How involved do you expect the parents to be?
10. Can I bring my child to explore the area once?

Only when you are completely satisfied with the answers to these questions, you should consider enrolling your little one in that particular preschool.

The Final Decision

We know how big this decision feels like because it actually is. Your kid’s overall development rests on it. After going through the entire process, stop, and rethink. Rethink about the preschool that you felt had the most positive culture, friendly staff, and a warm and learning environment overall. After all, that’s what is essential, right?

In the end, we’ll say just trust your instincts and the vibes you got from a particular space because that’s definitely an important factor too. You know when a school is right for your kid.

So, go with that too and make your decision. Everything shall turn out for the best!

Meanwhile, you can check out Moon Stone Day Care, one of the most amazing preschools in Wolverhampton and Erdington.