Choosing a preschool can be a daunting task for parents. Having been a concerned preschool parent myself, I can appreciate the importance of finding a good fit. Here are my top 5 tips for choosing the best preschool for your child:
- Do your research. A website tells a lot about a preschool! Read about the school’s mission and vision as well as the curriculum and programming. This will help you to see if the school shares your basic philosophy. Also, if you are interested in state licensed schools, do not hesitate to check out their violation history on the Department of Social Services website. You should certainly talk to other parents with children. Good schools have lots of buzz on the street.
- Tour the school. Tour in the morning. This is the time to see classrooms in action, meet the staff and experience the core values of the school at work. Your sixth sense will kick in as soon as you walk in the door. If it’s difficult to schedule a tour or you can’t see all areas of the school you think are important, red flags should begin to fly.
- Ask questions about the curriculum. Many schools are play-based and focus primarily on socialization. This might be just what your child needs or you may be looking for a more structured curriculum. Village Green Day School utilizes the Core Knowledge Curriculum, which educates the whole child. Good programs will assess your child’s progress throughout the year. And, parents should be offered an opportunity to discuss that progress after each assessment.
- Staff Education, Training and Retention. Make sure you have an understanding of the education and retention of the teaching and administrative staff. A preschool with high turnover or uninvolved leaders spells inconsistency for children. The Head of School should be in the classrooms regularly and have a good relationship with their staff, which is reflected in retention rates. At Village Green Day School, many of our Lead teachers have master’s degrees and our staff participates in regular Monday meetings. Training is provided to all of our staff onsite at the beginning of the year, and all are encouraged to take offsite trainings as well. And, annual performance reviews are never missed. All of our Lead Preschool Teachers have been teaching at our school for at least seven years.
- What sets this school apart? Perhaps the customer service is spectacular and you know nothing will fall through the cracks. Or you can simply tell that people actually care about your child! Maybe the professional teaching staff impressed you. It may even be that you liked the classroom ratios and the way that the ages are divided. Maybe you like the extras such as the Art, Music, Spanish, and Yoga. Or you appreciate the fact that a soccer company has been contracted to teach a lunch program giving you an extra hour in your day.
In the end, your gut will tell you it’s the right place for your child. You might feel it when you first walk in the door or after you’ve compared several schools. But you will know that your child will feel safe and happy each day they enter the doors of their perfect preschool.
Jennie Hashemi, Head of School for Village Green Day School at Lowes Island, has a Master’s in Education and more than 25 years of experience as an educator. She has been with Village Green for seven years and is raising two sons, ages 9 & 12, with her husband in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
