Any advice on preschool?

Question

Private or public? How old should they be? What are important things to look for in a preschool? Any advice appreciated!

Answer 1

Check into how long the staff has been at the school. In preschool settings, sometimes staff members leave and new people come in (kind of like a revolving door). Visit different schools and observe children. Do they look happy? How are they comforted when upset? Are teachers facilitators in the learning process or are they merely on the sidelines watching the kids? Do teachers interact with children and encourage them to be independent? How are conflicts resolved between the kids? I think a private school makes families comfortable. Something about more money for a service makes us feel better. But, I've seen kids attend state preschool programs (free to qualified families) and/or programs through a city's park/recreation department do just fine. Look at the kindergarten standards (available at your state's department of education website) to see what your child needs to know. Helpful in giving your child a jump start on his/her kindergarten experience. And, I think a 1/2 day program is appropriate. You can even start out at a few days per week. Age 3 seems alright (in my opinion), but NOT all day.

Answer 2

i would say that they should be about 3 or 4 years old. the type of school depends on your income. there are good private and public schools. i sent my son to a public school so that i could put the extra money into a college savings.
i would tour the school and talk to the teachers. find out what they will be doing during the day. i would find out about nap times, snack times, and what do they do if the child has an accident. you can also ask other parents about the school that their kids go to. i would bring your child along to tour the school so that on their first day they may not be as scared.
good luck.

Answer 3

Check to see if they are state certified. Do check refrences, make certain employees have recieved training or have education degrees. I would also go and observe a class.