Preschools: How to Decide

By Michele Blandino

For many parents, the process of choosing a preschool can quickly become overwhelming. Worried that selecting the "wrong" school will start their child's educational experience off on the wrong foot, they will spend countless hours visiting schools, reading books and visiting websites. To help make the process a little easier, we offer the following information.

Assessing Your Needs

Before you even begin looking at preschools, you must assess your needs: do you need daycare in addition to the preschool experience or will the child only be attending the preschool classes? If you will need daycare, your search should be confined to facilities that offer both services. If, on the other hand, you are only interested in the preschool classes, you will have many more options available.

The second thing to consider is the role (if any) you want religion to play in your child's education. There are many excellent preschool programs run by churches all across the country, however, enrolling your child in one of these programs comes with the understanding that religious discussion and/or prayer will probably be part of the school day.

Third, what schedules are available and, even more importantly, how much school do you think your child will be able to effectively handle? Most schools offer two-day programs for the youngest students (2 and 3 year-olds) and 3, 4 or 5 day programs for the 4 and 5 year-olds. Most programs are half-day and can least anywhere from 2 to 3 1/2 hours.

Next, you will want to know the teacher-to-student ratio. Ideally, there shouldn't be more than 10 children for each teacher without an aide in the classroom. If you have a concern about the teacher's ability to engage so many little minds at the same time, visit the classroom and observe. Most schools have an open house for the parents of prospective students to learn more about the school. Pay close attention to the teacher-student interactions; does the teacher seem genuinely interested in the children or do you get the idea she's watching the clock?

Finally, what is your budget? While costs vary widely from school to school, the most inexpensive schools tend to be the ones run by churches and other religious organizations. Of course, the amount of tuition you can expect to pay will depend on the number of days per week your child will attend classes; expect to spend $100 - $300 a month (not including daycare expenses).

School Philosophy

There are a number of different philosophies associated with preschool education. We will discuss three of them here: Developmentally Appropriate, Montessori, and High/Scope.

  • Developmentally Appropriate - Developmentally appropriate preschools strive to suit the needs of each child by providing age and individually appropriate activities. Teachers in developmentally appropriate preschools identify each child's skill and help further develop these skills by constructing challenges using these skills. Finally, developmentally appropriate preschools encourage the use of "manipulatives" or real objects to enhance the learning process.
  • Montessori - Montessori schools encourage individual progress with children learning at their own pace. Unlike most other types of preschools, children are not segregated according to age in Montessori schools, rather, children are grouped in three year spans. Within these groups, the children are encouraged to select activities that interest them rather than following a teacher-developed lesson plan.
  • High/Scope - The basis for the High/Scope method is that children learn best when they pursue individual interests and goals. As a result, children are encouraged to make choices about the types of things they will do during the day giving them the chance to explore, ask questions, solve problems and interact with other children as well as adults. Central to the High/Scope method is a consistent routine and time for small and large group activities.

Granted, choosing a school for your child isn't easy, but with a little research, you can help to ensure that your child's first experience in the classroom is a positive one.