Here's What to Look for in a Perfect Pre-K

As a parent, you want your child’s preschool program to be more than a day care. By the time your little one “graduates,” you want them to be kindergarten-ready, confident in their ABCs, comfortable sitting in circle time and willing to share toys. Choosing the right preschool can be a challenge, so, with the goal of kindergarten success in mind, here’s what to consider as you visit your local preschools.

Hours of Operation
If you work full-time, you’ll want a preschool program that minimizes transitions - perhaps one with before- and after-care that allows your child to spend their entire day in one place. If you’re at home, you might want a morning program so you have time in the afternoon for play dates or naptime.

Ask about the daily drop-off and pick-up routine. What happens if parents are late?

Is there an extended-day program that’s more than just babysitting?
Or, what will the child miss if they attend the half-day program?

The Facility
Make sure the facility is state-licensed, which ensures the facility meets safety requirements and has adequate staffing. Also check to see if the preschool is accredited and that the teachers are certified.

Teacher-to-Child Ratios
The more adults that are involved in the program, the more individual attention your child will receive. As a rule, there should be one adult for every eight to ten 4-year-olds. Ask about ratios and how that changes during the day. How does the program handle staff breaks? What do they do if a teacher is absent?

Discipline
While we all hope our children are perfectly behaved at all times, the fact is that all kids will test boundaries - even at school. It’s important to find out how the preschool you are considering handles misbehavior, particularly difficult behavior such as hitting or biting. Do they intervene when students have minor conflicts or do they believe children should work things through on their own? What is their disciplinary approach? It’s essential that you and your school are on the same page and that you trust their judgment. It can be confusing to a child to get mixed messages between home and school.

Meaningful Work and Individual Attention
Whether they’re working with a theory (Montessori or Waldorf) or a structured curriculum (Creative Curriculum and Core Knowledge are increasingly popular), preschools shouldn’t drill students, lecture or have them complete worksheet after worksheet. The focus should be on meaningful interaction with materials, socializing and play. Teachers should use rhyming games, read-alouds and craft projects to help kids develop reading, math and fine and gross motor skills. And, even though teachers plan lessons for the entire class, they should know each child and plan for their needs.

Ask about the curriculum and teaching philosophy and make sure that it’s a style that will fit with your child. Also, ask for a weekly schedule and have the teacher talk you through a typical day. If possible, sit in on a lesson. Look for variety in activities. Do the kids play inside and outside? Is there a mix of free play and structured activities?

Kid-Friendly Environment
The classroom should be child-friendly and inviting with art on the walls that’s more kid-created than printed-and-posted. Also, the classroom should be comfortable, with child-size chairs, tables and shelves at kid-height.

The Ultimate Test
Of course, the best indicators are the kids themselves. Watch them to see how comfortable they look interacting with teachers. If the kids are smiling and happy, chances are yours will be, too.

Still have questions?
Visit these Web sites for more preschool guidance:

The National Association for the Education of Young Children NAEYC: www.naeyc.org

Child Care Aware:
www.childcareaware.org

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies: www.naccrra.org

Pre-K Smarties has a preschool directory:
www.preksmarties.com

Print out this questionnaire from BabyCenter.com to use at your visits:
www.babycenter.com/0_preschool-director-teacher-interview-sheet_1450420.bc

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