5 Tips on How to Choose the Right Preschool

There are so many things to consider when deciding about your child’s education. For me as a parent, I am often exhausted and overwhelmed by all the different opinions and information when choosing the best for my children. From the location, to the cost, to the teaching techniques, the list can be very daunting and overwhelming.

As parents, we always want to do the right thing for our child and for our family as a whole. When choosing a preschool, you want to consider a lot of different things. That’s why we’ve put together a list of tips to help you choose the perfect preschool for your child.

5 tips for choosing the right preschool

1. Inquire about all of the local preschools in your area

One of the first things you can do when deciding where to go to a preschool is to make a list of all the schools in your area. From there, you can organize them based on price, accreditation, schedule, and location. Sometimes choosing a preschool that is cheapest and closest to you may not be the best method. For this reason, it is important for your pros and cons list to create a graphic that addresses different qualities per school.

2. Recommendations and / or referrals

There’s a reason word of mouth is so valuable and that’s because we trust our friends and family to give us their honest opinions on things. Not only will a referral from another mom friend help them make a decision, but it’s great to have that preschool referral to help your child get accepted into the school they want.

3rd Accreditations

Did you know that accreditation in kindergartens / kindergartens is voluntary? Not every school / daycare center participates in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) so it is important that you research your preschool and, if that’s important to you, which school they are accredited to.

4th Curriculum and methods

Preschool curriculum varies from school to school and you want to make sure you choose the curriculum that you think will best suit your future preschooler. Is it important that the curriculum is practical? Are you looking for a preschool that leads in the Montessori method? Is it important that the children actively participate in promoting social / emotional / spiritual development? There are many different aspects when it comes to methodology and curricula. Make sure you do your research and choose the best solution for your family / little one.

5. visit

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices and decided which preschool you might want to send your child to, you should plan a visit. Attending preschool can be of great help in your decision-making process as it will give you a feel for the school and help you decide whether your child will be successful in this setting. Below we have compiled a list of questions to ask about your tour / visit.

Prepared questions for attending preschool:

  • Is your school licensed? Accredited?
  • What is the relationship between preschooler and teacher?
  • Are the staff trained in CPR and first aid?
  • Which method / curriculum is taught?
  • What are your security and security protocols?
  • How do you deal with discipline?

Take that away

At the end of the day, the most important thing is to follow your gut instinct as a parent and choose what is best for your child. You know your future preschooler best and have the intuition and tools to decide what kind of environment your child will thrive in.

About the author

Ashland Hendrix from luvashland.com

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1 thought on “5 Tips on How to Choose the Right Preschool”

  1. I like your advice about asking my friends and family for referrals when looking for a preschool for my child. This way, I could ask them for their honest opinion and find a great school for my offspring. My firstborn Adam is turning three soon. I want him to start going to a preschool near our home, so I’ll follow your tips here. Thanks.

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