What Questions Should We Ask on Preschool Visits?

Important questions;
What is the teacher child ratio?
How big is the class?
What is the breakdown of boys/girls (you don't want your child to be the only girl...)
Under what circumstances do you go outside (weather,temp,etc)
Where do the kids play when they can't go outside?
What is the snack policy?
What are the expectations for parent involvement?
What are the fundraising expectations?
What is the daily schedule?
How do you discipline the children? Corporal punishment?
Does the school have an inclusion policy re special needs kids?
Will there be a special needs child in the classroom - how is that staffed?
What is the philosophy of the school: learn thru play? montesorri?
Sick and and bad weather day policies?

I always went on gut intuition if all the info checked out. Personally, I favor big bright spaces with lots of natural light and a big indoor play area b/c the winter here can be too cold to go outside. I always sought to see the teachers in action....you can generally tell if they are good people that can create a fun loving environment for your child.
Good luck

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I'm in the process now and asking questions like:
* What does your daily schedule look like?
* Do you do academics (letter of the week, colors, shapes, printing, etc.) and is it structured or only through play?
* Are the teachers preschool certified?
* What security measures are taken?
* Is there parent involvement?
* Do they take field trips?
* Do they do parent conferences/reports?

That's all I can think of for now. Good luck! :)

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as a former preschool teacher and administrator, here's some advice.

first of all, make sure you are allowed and encouraged to bring your daughter on all tours. you want to make sure that she feels comfortable in the environment (though she may seem overwhelmed, you'll be able to ask her what SHE thinks about the schools and spaces). you want to see how she interacts there and how the teachers respond to her.

also, make sure that the schedule is doable for you and your family. it's very important to be at school on time to ensure a smooth transition into a day. if the program begins too early for you, opt for another one.

lastly, ask about how the staff are treated. are they salaried or hourly? do they get health insurance (is it at least offered to them)? can they buy into a 401k (or 403b if it's a non-porfit)? what kind of vacation/sick time do they get? these may seem like trivial things and you may think they are none of your business, but let me tell you from experience that the better the staff is treated, the better they treat your child. you want your child enrolled in a program that treats and respects its staff like family because that's how they'll treat your child.

good luck!

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you've gotten some GREAT suggestions so far. One thing I didn't see is ask how they will measure your child's academic growth and how they will tailor the curriculum to your child's needs. Ask them if they do environmental rating scales or use the Illinois Early Learning Standards. (If they don't understand your question, they don't know their stuff!!)

If you check out http://www.freewebs.com/atozlearningtree you can see some things that should be covered at a preschool.

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I know a lot of people have jumped in to suggest Montessori, and while they are also an excellent choice I'd like to suggest that you also look into the nearest Waldorf school as an option too. I have chosen the Waldorf school in Wauconda for my own children and I feel very comfortable with my decision. Your profile says you are in Wheaton, however, so the nearest Waldorf school for you would be in Warrenville. I'd definitely give them a call and go have a tour.

One question I looked at when I was searching for schools was - how will the school cater to my son's growth and development? The Waldorf curriculum is designed to do just that - to help each child learn as they are developmentally ready to, while building an awareness of the people and world around them. It is also very important while our children are young that they have a lot of physical movement and plenty of time to be outside. I'd make sure that whatever school you choose has lots and lots of time for the students to run and jump and develop the physical skills that, in turn, help strengthen the mind.

Good luck in your search!

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C., I own a foreign language school that works in a large variety of daycares and preschools. I have a "tour guide" that I send to parents that are touring facilities. It has many appropriate questions and also tips when visiting. I can send that to you if you like. This service is FREE to mamasource members.

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The schools we visited (and I felt like I saw them all!) did a pretty good job of outlining their programs verbally or in writing. You start to see that many of them are structured similarly, but you have to see/observe to get a "feel" for the location, director, teachers, and dare I say, the other parents, etc. to see where you might fit best. Try going during a regular school day with your child. Yes, this can be more difficult, but you can always look over the printed info later and call or write the director if you have additonal questions. Look for schools that are accredited by NAEYC - National Association of Education of Young Children - they set the standards of this "industry." But my last tip, which really helped me, is to read the school's monthly newsletters (they either post online for parents or ask the director to provide). I really loved the tone of one particular place. I just felt that the way they were communicating with parents was as a partnership to benefit the child. As opposed to another place where the director had a page long rant about some hot-button child development issue that came up at an early childhood conference she attended. I did not appreciate her "I'm the expert - holier than thou" tone and I knew it was a location I needn't consider further....good luck! I'm glad I did my research. It is an investment, but my son is FLOURISHING at school!

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PACES puts on a great preschool guidebook... pacesmoms.com

Also, like other posts, first impression/how you feel/how kids like it are the biggest.

Lastly, I have a whole list of questions (compiled from varying sources) if you would like a copy. I am using this when I go and visit the schools. Just private message me with your email addy and I'll email it to you.

Good luck! :)

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I was a nanny for twenty years and my charges where at some of the top preschool in the US. Now they are in the top Universities in the US. I would say look for preschool that do not focus a lot on academics. This is the time for social skills, not learning ABC's. They learn them through play and daily activites. Ask about Science tables, arts and crafts, can they check out books, do you have pot-lucks(then you can meet and talk with other parents), fundraising is a great questions, what is expected of you outside of the tution. Ask a lot about the teachers, how long have they been teaching, where did they get their degrees, how long have they been at this school, are any of the teachers planning on leaving while my child would be in the classroom(some teachers retire because the two year preschool class is over), who subsitutes when the teachers are not in the classroom, do the same teachers come. What kind of snack do you provide, you wouldn't belive what some school provide, like chocolate chip cookies at 10 a.m. do they ever watch T.V, some preschool roll it right in on a rainy/cold day.

good luck.

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I'm not sure where you live, but on Jan. 22nd. Bartlett Public Library is holding
a Preschool/ Daycare Faire. It's a one stop shop on preschools.
Just thought this might help
C.

The only question I had when looking was "Are you a daycare or only a preschool?" I did not want a place that was a daycare...I already have that. Not sure what area you are in, but if you are in the Antioch area, we use the park district program Camp Crayon...LOVE it!

What kind of curriculum is followed? What is the schedule for a typical day? How is discipline handled? What are benchmarks/goals?

I haven't read all of your other responses, so I apologize if I repeat. One of the single most important things for me being a mom of two boys is discipline. I called and screened a bunch of preschool ahead of time and asked them scenario type questions. My first son would not sit in circle time for the life of me when I would take him to story hour or parent/tot preschool. So I asked each school what they would do about that. Some of them actually told me that I should get him evaluated for ADHD. That immediately ended that conversation. I was surprised at the number of schools that said that because it really isn't a thing you can diagnose until later on in life, plus I knew my son didn't have ADHD just because he didn't like to sit in circle time. You need to find out what they do about stuff like that and see if it fits with your values and beliefs. How do they handle discipline? What if someone else hits my kid. What happens? Of course find out the obvious educational curriculum. Then, for sure, you and your child go and attend a class for a morning. Watch the teacher and see how she is interacting with the kids. Is she warm and friendly? Is she getting to know each kid? Class size was very important to us because we wanted him to get as much personal attention as needed education wise so he was ready for kindergarten. So, just stuff like that. Also, follow your gut. While you are visiting them (and we visited like 10 places), you'll walk out knowing yes, maybe, or no. In the end, hopefully one or two places will appeal to you. Make sure you ask about their 4 year old preschool program as well as 3 year old. They are very different education wise. One more thing I did was emailed the kindergarten teachers at my sons school and asked them which preschool kids came from that were more at the top of the class coming into kindergarten. You can find out the teacher emails on the school district website. And, ask around your community if you can to find out what the top ones are. However, as I found, those were not my top ones at all.

Whoa - I was responding to the wrong inquiry - sorry about that!

I agree with the poster who said you need to get a 'feel' for the place. They can say all the right things but not be the right place.

If possible, do an unscheduled visit. Just walk on in at a busy time when 'things are really happening', not when they want to give you the 'dog and pony show'. That will really give you an idea of how things are run. Other times to check out the place are at pick-up and drop-off time. At pick-up and drop-off time you will get to see how children are received by the staff which will tell you a lot about how they interact with the children and parents.

C., sometimes people choose religious schools for preschool. We did that with my sons in large part because our then next door neighbor's sons were going there and my son could go along. We continued them at the same school for elementary school. I am Catholic and knew that sacramental preparation would be part of the plan. My ex, on the other hand, strongly disagreed with that. It caused a lot of problems. They did participate in the sacraments with their class, by the way. So just be sure you agree with the philosophy of the school and anything like that if you do consider a religious school. Good luck! (My sons are now 25 and 22 and I have been divorced 7 years.)
S.

C.,

Besides the questions I can not stress also the importance of your first opinoin of the center. When I looked at daycares years ago for my DD's one center answered all the questions perfectly. Should have been a good fit right? Well I did not feel comfortabe in the center at all. Then I realized that they were answering our questions at the front door and did not invite us in to tour the facility. Also just as we were leaving I noticed a pair of sissors, long and pointy, on a shelf at the childrens hight by the door. They had the right answers and said what we wanted to hear the decision went way beyond that. Good luck and trust your instinct.

C.,

In addition to all the great suggestions you've received so far, I would also recommend asking how long the director and teachers have been at the preschool. If they've been with the preschool for a number of years, I would take that as a good sign that they are happy with the school as a place of employment (happy teachers, happy kids). I would be concerned if the staff turnover rate was high.

I dont have any answers for you but I do have a recomendation. If you live in the Schaumburg, Streamwood, Bartlett area check out Creative Beginnings. Their located in Schaumburg off of Bode Rd. They are the best preschool youll ever find. I took my daughter there and was extreamly happy. We moved to Algonquin when my daughter was 4 but I continued to make the drive to take her there. Give them a call youll be so happy you did!

Let me throw something out there that hasn't bee mentioned yet. Have you looked at home daycares that specialize in preschool? Many times they offer great programs without so many kids. You just have to know where to look. I'm a mom with a backgroud in corporate daycare and also home daycare. Both are great. I agree that you have to go with your gut feeling. The staff should be personable and be available at all times. If you are looking for information about specific chains of daycare or are interested in trying to find a wonderful home daycare in your area, just send me a personal mail.

My response isn't really regarding questions to ask, but something to keep in mind. My daughter is in 3 year old preschool right now, and I have a 7 month old. THe drop off and pick up process involves me having to get the little one in and out of the car for drop off and pick up and walk my older one all the way to her class. It may not sound so bad, but when you start doing it 2 times a day for 2-3 days a week, it can get old fairly quickly. My advice would be see if there is an arrangement for the teacher or helper to meet you at the car so you can just drop off, or see if there is anyone you can carpool with from your neighborhood. We have started carpooling, and it is a great thing! Hope this helps.

Look into a Montessori Pre school. Ask to observe the class. watch the interaction of the adults and the children,and see what the children are doing. Make an effort to learn and read about the Montessori Philosophy and see if you agree with them. Ask what is the routine of the day is, what is their policy about sick children coming to school, if they have after care and what happens during that time.
Good luck!

When you visit, you really will get a feel for the preschool and the staff. When we moved and my dd started a new preschool I took her in to meet with the director who is also a teacher and she invited Taylor to sit with the class. Taylor is now writing her name, knows her phone# and address. Her preschool also has Spanish lessons with a multilinguist and swim lessons once a week. I pay about the same as I did at her previous preschool/daycare (we just moved a few months ago) and she has learned so much in the short amount of time she has been in the new school.
I am in South Barrington so please let me know if you would like more info on this preschool.
Good luck!

I would just find out what the cirriculum is and what they will know by the end of the year. I'm not sure where you're at, but the Hampshire Park district preschool is GREAT! My 1st daughter went there and she loved it and learned sooo much, the teachers were also great and so nice. I will be sending my second there also, I would check it out.

I see that you have already received lots of great advise. I love this site! I wanted to add a few things. My son is currently in 3 year old preschool. I was actually a little late signing up for school and I am glad that I was. Now that my son in actually in school, I will tell you a few things that I think are critical. More learning play and not so much curriculum. A balanced ratio of boys and girls. A teacher who is experienced and warm with the children, but not too easy-going - offering structure and good discipline. Those first few weeks were incredibly "telling" of the teachers capabilities with 1/2 of the class in tears as they entered. Being the first experience with school for most 3 year olds, experience is key. We love our preschool in Glen Ellyn. If you're interested in specifics - send me a note. By the way, I suggest you tour alone and do not bring your child. This allows you to focus on the teacher and class without distraction. Honestly, none of the kids were comfortable the first couple weeks and they are all now excited to get there - my son wishes he could go more days. That tells all!