We are getting ready to take a tour of the school we want Connor to go to preschool (if we chose to send him to preschool) and it will be his regular school once he enters kindergarten. What kinds of things should I be looking for and asking?
K.
K.-
I am not sure if this would help, my daughter is only 7 months but when we were looking for daycare I made a sheet of questions regarding policy, activities ect. If you are interested please just email me at ____@____.com and I will respond with the attached file. I Believe the respone you recieved from the other Mom sounds perfect. Good Luck :)
N.
You should look at the environment and how much room he has to move around. Are the areas crowded or will he have room to go into different areas in the classroom.
Ask about the daily schedule. How is the day structured. I've taught preschool and head start for 8 years and you need a schedule! It should have time for gross motor or physical activities. A time for free chice of learning centers and creative expressions (They should be doing art daily but no child should be forced to do it)and in preschool most should be doing group time. Group time usually consists of reading stories and having discussions. they should be challenging your preschooler to learn about new concepts and ideas. I would ask about a rest time. If your child still naps or even if they don't what is the classroom routine during quiet time.
A good thing to look at is also the art around the classroom. It should be displayed at the children's level and it should be process art not product art. By that I mean not just coloring sheets or pre-cut "pretty" art that looks perfect. The best art is the one that the child does unassisted. For example my daughter brought home a picture once of herself with her eyes on her stomach and shoes on her face. But she was proud of her work so I praised her for it. The art shouldn't all look the same because they should be doing it how they want to do it. If there is no art around I would wonder what they we're doing all day?
I would also ask about meals, are they provided or can you send a lunch. Do they post a menu clearly so you know what they are eating each day.
Also ask about fieldtrips and other learning experiences. Do they have music, computers, etc.
It's hard to pick a school but preschool is good way to help your child develop the social skills needed prior to entering kindergarden. My daughter loves school now and all her new friends!
Good Luck
J.
Honestly in my opinion I would worry more about what school your child will attend elementry school in than preschool.
My daughter did 2 years of preschool and got nothing out of it academically. She gained alot as far as socially, and emotionally and learned how to follow rules but writing her name and learning her colors etc. I taught her those things or she would have never learned them.
My daughter was in a montesori/daycare center at age 2 and it was AWESOME way better than any preschool I've ever seen and what she took out of being there was so much greater than any other place my childs been to.
I completely agree with Jennifer. Our daughter just started preschool. It has been a wonderful experience for all of us. I think it is important to feel comfortable with the way the adults interact with the children - hopefully respectfully and in a caring way. Do the kids seem happy and comfortable yet in control/calm? I'd look for structured, well planned activities with some choice time for the kids and fun things for them to do during their free time. You can ask what a typical day would be like. I'd also ask if they have current parents who you could talk to. Good luck!
If you call your local childcare refferal center, which should be listed in your yellow pages, they will mail you an entire list of questions. I used them when finding my child's daycare, and they are full of great tips, and advice.
