What Should I Look For In a Preschool?
When it is time to start thinking about finding preschool care for your child, you want to find a facility that is more than just a babysitting service. You want to find a place that will provide the right type of nurturing environment for your little one while you are at work.
Here are some things to look for when considering a preschool for your child:
Early Years — You want to find a preschool facility that knows that the early years for a child are absolutely essential, giving your child the base they will need for being successful in school at a later time. Studies have shown that good quality preschool care gives children an advantage in areas such as language, literacy, and mathematics for the rest of their school career.
You want to find a preschool that will care for you child in a way that allows him or her to develop to the utmost potential. Play-based learning, where the children are allowed to explore, discover, and create, has been proven to help give an edge to developing children. When put in a secure, safe, and nurturing environment, play-based learning is a great way to care for your children during their formative school years.
Curriculum and Staff — Another thing to consider when thinking about preschool for your child is the type of curriculum and staff the facility has in place. It is always best to ensure the school offers an age-appropriate curriculum that will provide parents with ongoing assessments. These regular assessments will help you, as parents, monitor your children’s progress and changing interests while they are growing, helping give you a better understanding of what developmental stage your child is currently working on.
In addition, always ask about the teachers on staff at a preschool facility. You want to choose a place where all teachers have the necessary credentials and experience for providing care for your child. If your child has any special needs, you want to make sure that you find a facility where the teacher has the necessary experience and education to properly care for your child.
Safety and Security — Finally, always ensure the facility you opt for is as safe as possible for your child. Take a look around the facility. Do they use safe and strong furniture that is designed specifically for children? Do they have a rubber surface in the play area, designed to prevent low impact injuries? Also take a look at the flooring inside the facility. Is it a hard floor that will be dangerous for new walkers? Or is it made of rubber and designed to limit the amounts of bumps and bruises that will come to those new walkers? The answer to these questions will go a long way to making a parent feel good about leaving a child at the preschool.
Another thing to consider is security. Unfortunately, in this day and age, security has to be on a parents’ list of concerns. The facility that you are considering should have security measures in place that prevent unauthorized or random people from entering the facility and having access to your child. Many facilities now opt for a touch screen, equipped with fingerprinting sensors at the door, ensuring only those who are supposed to be at the facility are allowed entrance.
When picking the right preschool for your child, consider the importance placed on early learning, the curriculum and staff, and the safety and security measures that are in place.