Choosing a playschool for your child can be a daunting task! For the first time, you’ll be putting the well-being of the apple of your eye in the hands of strangers, and you’ll want to make sure that your child is getting the best wherever she is! You need to invest time and energy in this search, as it is important to find a place where the child will be safe, healthy and happy. But how do you go about this?
You can get started by asking people you know. Friends and relatives who live in the vicinity of your house, or parents you meet in the local park or playground are good sources of information. You can look online too, for information about schools, and do pay particular attention to reviews by parents of children still studying there, and of children who have graduated. Once you have a shortlist of schools, it is essential to visit each place individually, observe it during working hours, and talk to the staff, and the people who run the school. But what should you look for? Here’s a checklist to give you an idea! *1) Playschool philosophy* – What kind of playschool are you looking for? There are several kinds – for example, the Montessori, Waldorf, Steiner schools of thoughts. There are kindergarten schools too, and then there are places who mix different philosophies and bring out their own curriculum. Make sure you have done enough research on all these kinds of preschool education systems, so that you know what you want for your child. *2) What age do you want your child to start school?* Montessori schools, for example, don’t accept children very young, whereas some others accept children as young as a year old. *3) Distance from home.* When a child is very young, it is better not to subject the child to too-long commutes. But of course, it depends on your personal situation! It might be more convenient for you to send your child to a school close to your workplace, and then the commute might not matter much. If you plan to send the child to school using school transport, ensure that they have a good safety record! *4) Safety* – Probably the most important thing that a school must have – it has to be safe in all respects. • How does the school manage stairs and steps? • Are the banisters of higher floors and balconies tall enough? • Are the windows barred? • Are there good fire escape routes? • If the playschool is situated on the main road, is the main gate closed and inaccessible to small kids? • Is there tight security, and are visitors screened before entry? • Are there water tanks or tubs that a child could fall into? *5) Hygiene* – The school must be clean and neat. Though it is really hard to maintain cleanliness with a bunch of messy little tots running around, there are some key aspects that cannot be ignored. • Are the toilets washed and disinfected several times a day? • Are the hand-towels changed every day? •If food is served at school, is the food preparation area hygienic, and are the utensils clean? • Are the rooms cleaned every day, the shelves dusted? Different people have different expectations of cleanliness and hygiene, so make sure that the school conforms to yours. *6) Staff and help* – If possible, interact with the staff and the help. • Is the staff qualified? • Is the help trained well? • Are they loving, attentive, and patient? • Do children seem comfortable with them? • Talk to the director. Does their world-view correspond with what you have in mind for your children? *7) Observe the children – * • Do the children seem happy? • Do they look forward to come to school? • Do they look clean and well-attended to? • How is a crying or morose child treated by the staff? • How do they handle children with challenging behaviour? *8)Infrastructure – * • Are the benches and chairs kid-friendly? • Are the toilets and sinks suitable for little children? • Is the learning material up-to-date and in good shape? • Are there enough toys and learning things for all the children to use? *9) The premises* – Are the premises bright, cheery and airy? It need not be a gleaming new place – it just needs to be a welcoming, homey place. Trust your instinct on this – sometimes you just like a place! *10) Cost* – Something you cannot disregard in this age of rising prices. The facilities must be commensurate with the fees! Do check out at least 3-4 places before you finalize one, and ask as many questions as you think is necessary. If the playschool isn’t open and welcoming, doesn’t encourage questions, or doesn’t approve of your observing them during working hours, you could take it as a warning sign! Do keep your eyes and ears open, and do trust your instinct! 10 Steps to Finding the Right Preschool: A Parent's Checklist By Kali Sakai <https://www.parentmap.com/author/kali-sakai> [image: preschool friends]There may be nothing that instills more fear and apprehension in parents than the task of finding the right preschool. The choices can be overwhelming, the deadlines are impossibly early, and the pressure to get it right is huge. Or maybe you're one of those laid-back parents who is not at all worried about it (but those deadlines really do creep up on you, we swear!). Either way, never fear: Follow our 10-step guide and you will be the most prepared parent on the block. *1. Start your search at least one school year prior to attending, if possible.* Tours are typically offered October through January the year prior to the time you want to enroll, but some schools have rolling admissions that will provide opportunities to enroll and attend as soon as slots become available. If you didn't start one year ahead, don't freak out. Call around and visit as many schools as you can. Most have wait lists, and there are often last-minute openings. Be persistent (but not annoying) by checking back in and being proactive. *2. The best ways to find preschool programs are to attend preschool fairs <https://www.parentmap.com/article/preschool-previews>*, get recommendations from fellow parents and scope out programs located close to home or work. *3. Schedule a tour.* You can attend an open house to hear about the philosophy and admission process, then submit the application and fee. Usually you can tour the school while classes are in session, and sometimes you can even bring your child to spend time in the classroom (though sometimes having Junior along can be more distracting than beneficial). Be ready with a notebook on the tour, and bring a list of all your questions. *4. Know how often and how long you’d like your child to go.* Children usually attend preschool for two years between the ages of 2.5 and 5 years old. Often, preschools run half-day programs around four hours every weekday or less for a nine-month school year. Some preschools have full-day programs (and some full-time daycares have a preschool component), and some half-day programs offer before- and after-school care. There are exceptions to the rule (for example, Montessori programs often have longer days). Children with special needs may qualify for 12-month programs if the nature and degree of their disability suggests that they might regress during summer months without preschool services. Some parents opt for a half-day preschool and hire a nanny if they need additional hourly care. *[image: preschool teacher]5. Signs that a preschool program is well-run:* - Assess the quality of children’s relationships with the staff. Pay close attention to the language used in the classroom and the friendliness of the staff. Observe a few different classrooms while school is in session to see how the teachers interact with students. - Home-to-school connections are important. Preschools that have high family involvement are often the schools with the strongest programs. When families are involved, children do better, teachers feel supported and everyone works together for the children’s learning and development. - High-quality preschools have structure: They follow a specific philosophy or model and have specific guidelines for addressing challenging behavior. - Discipline policies should emphasize positive approaches to teaching children new skills and proactive strategies for behavior management such as classroom rules, routines and social-emotional lessons or curriculum. *6. Look for signs that a preschool program is not well-run:* - Be cautious of programs that do not utilize a consistent, research-based curriculum. The curriculum should also be aligned to state learning standards for preschool, which will ensure that your child is prepared for kindergarten. - Be cautious of programs that only emphasize reactive strategies for challenging behavior (such as punishment or consequences) without describing what will be done to help the children learn new skills to replace inappropriate behavior. - Are the adults passionate about what they do? Do teachers have the proper training, certification and support to implement the educational approach and/or curriculum being utilized by the school? Investigate retention of staff: High turnover is never a good sign. - Children need space to play and engage in gross motor activities. Notice if the classroom feels cramped, dirty, dark or unorganized. Preschool classrooms should be of an adequate size with clearly designed centers and/or play areas. *[image: potty training]7. Find out policies on potty training.*Many, but not all, preschools require that children be potty trained. If your target school requires potty training, figure out what your approach will be to work with your child on using the potty. *8. Know the recommended adult-to-child ratios.* The National Association for the Education of Young Children <http://www.naeyc.org/>recommends that infant groups should be no larger than 12 children with an adult-to-child ratio of 1:4. Preschool classroom groups should not be larger than 20 and the adult-to-child ratio should not exceed 1:10. *9. Keep up on trends.* Preschools also try to offer things important to their specific communities. Some trends are logistical such as offering *organic, vegetarian or gluten-free food* as well as employing eco-friendly practices. Other trends relate to the approach to academics. Renee Metty, founder of both The Cove Preschool & the West Seattle Preschool Association, notices a push for*Japanese and Mandarin language* as well as *“forest” or “outdoor” preschools*, which hold a significant amount of class time outside, rain or shine. "Our trend follows more of the business trends of those 21st century skills: right brained thinking, innovation and creativity. We focus much more on social emotional learning than reading, writing and math," Metty says. Decide what trends, if any, are most important to you. *10. Know what’s important and trust your gut.* Sometimes family needs will narrow your options down significantly, including considerations such as how far the school is from home or work, what your daily childcare needs are, and the cost. Ultimately, you have to trust your gut. Ask yourself when you’re looking at schools: Do they treat the children with respect? Are the school’s values in line with your family values? Will this preschool environment set your child up for success? Most importantly, can you picture your child happy at the school? (Sources: Renee Metty, founder of both The Cove Preschool & the West Seattle Preschool Association; Myriah Rosengarten, Ph.D., a nationally certified school psychologist.) *Kali Sakai is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives in Seattle with her techie husband, preschool-aged daughter and infant son.* <http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/worldmalayaliclub/> *வாழிய செந்தமிழ்! வாழ்க நற்றமிழர்!* *வாழிய பாரதமணித் திருநாடு!* *v **a n a k k a m** S u b b u* [image: Animated header with two horses rearing on hind legs] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
