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Selecting A Preschool
Why? When? Where? By Dr. William Sears
By the age of 3, most children show a strong desire for companionship as well as a desire to refine the skills they have thus far acquired. Preschools serve both these desires. Whether your child's needs during this stage can be met more effectively at home or at a preschool depends primarily upon your child and your family situation. There are a few points you can consider when deciding.
The preschool should be an extension of the home. The facility you select should have the same childrearing values and priorities as you. Ask advice about various preschools in your area from other parents who share your principles of childrearing. Parents sharing the same values of childrearing have been responsible for the "co-op preschools" (parents take turns staffing the school). What the co-op may lack in structure and organization, it makes up for with high parental involvement.
Visit the preschool for a preview. The four major aspects you should consider are the teachers, the equipment, the curriculum and the child interaction.
Call ahead to find out the best time to visit. Surprise visits have mixed benefits. For a variety of reasons it may not be a truly representative day, or the director and particular teacher may not be available if you arrive unannounced. Take your child along. You will get different reactions from your child at the various schools. Mothers are especially intuitive about their child's positive or negative feelings.