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Choosing a Preschool:

Choosing a preschool for your child can be one of the hardest things to do, and there are many factors you will need to consider when doing so:

• The Curriculum—you will want to take your child to a preschool that you feel offers the best opportunity for early learning. Ask them what they teach the children, what their goals are by the end of the year, what an average day is like, etc. It is important that you take your child to a school that has the same goals for your child as you do.

• The Teachers—ask if the teachers are certified to teach preschool. If they aren't, then you are essentially sending your child to a daycare. This likely means that the teacher your child has doesn't have a college degree and your child might not learn as much as with an accredited preschool.

• Cost—this is a very important factor, as well. You should find out how much it costs per year or per week, however each particular school does it. You do not want to place your child into a school that you may not always be able to afford, because your child will likely love it and want to continue going. It is better to start them in a school you know they will be able to continue to attend until regular school, rather than pick a higher end school that you will have to pull them out of later.

• Location—obviously you will need the location to be convenient to where you work or live, but you should also think about where your child's regular school will be. If you put your child in a preschool that isn't in your town or school district, it isn't very likely that your child will go to kindergarten with many, if any, of their preschool classmates. This can be bad because they may spend a couple of years in a class with their best friend, and then have to go to a totally different school later.

• Student to Teacher Ratio—just as with daycares, there are laws in every state that only allow so many kids to be in a class with one teacher. These can vary, and it is important to contact a state agency to find out what these ratios are. You do not want to send your child to a school that ignores this law. In fact, it is even better to send your child to a school that has less kids per teacher than the requirement. This tells the parent that the school is more concerned with providing the children with an education than it is about money, and that is definitely a good thing.

• Hours—some preschools are run more like daycares, and have later hours than regular schools do, and some go by a similar schedule as elementary schools do. You will want to make sure that the hours of operation at the school you are considering will mesh well with your work schedule.

• Talk to Other Parents—this is one of the best ways to figure out whether you think you may like this school or not. Try to visit the center during hours when parents are picking up their kids. This way, you can stop a few and ask them how they like the school. You will also want to pay attention to how happy their child seems with the school. These can be telltale signs as to whether you will like it or not.

These are all important factors to consider when choosing a preschool for your child. While it isn't even necessary to send your child to preschool, it can provide a great preparation for regular school when your child is old enough.



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