4 Tips to Help You Find the Perfect Preschool Program
When your child is early pre k age, it may be time to look for the best pre-k classes you can find in your local area. It’s great to send young children to school for pre k so that they start learning important social skills as well as learning about how to act in a school setting. They will also learn many of the skills they will need by the time they get to kindergarten. Entering one of these schools for preschool learning can be very exciting to kids as well as to their parents.
Finding a school that has open early childhood enrollment can be tricky in some areas. There are many areas that have preschools that are booked solid and it can take time to get through the waitlist and get into the school. In those areas, it’s important to get onto a waiting list before the child is even old enough to attend so that they will reach the top of the list in time. For preschool learning, it’s also important that you as a parent know about their teaching methods and the philosophy and mission statement of the school.
Is your child ready to start preschool? If your child has outgrown traditional daycares or babysitters, it?s time to find the right early learning or preschool program that will help your child prepare for kindergarten and the many years of schooling to follow. Studies have shown that approximately 80% of children enrolled in high quality early childhood education programs outperformed their peers who did not have the opportunity to do so. It?s important to do some research to find a preschool that will be beneficial to your child and best for your family, but here are some things to consider while looking for a good fit.
- Is it Affordable?
First and foremost, you need an affordable preschool program. Every family has a different budget, but the cost of a preschool can really influence your decision to enroll in a certain program. You may be able to find a public preschool, but most are private and therefore have a tuition fee. When comparing schools, ask about the prices and payment methods. If you can?t afford to pay up front each month, it might be best to find a school that will be flexible with payment and will create a payment plan for you.
- Close to Home or Work
You?ll want to take location into consideration while looking for an early learning program. Depending on whether you?re a stay-at-home parent or you work full time, you may want to think about what is easiest for you. Based on your commute, it might be easier to pick your child up on the way home from work. Unless there are no good preschools around you, you?ll waste time and money travelling far distances for a preschool program.
- Good Reputation
Most importantly, the reputation and credibility of a preschool program should influence your decision. A quick search engine query might bring up some user reviews from local families who experienced a particular child care center first-hand. If you have the opportunity to check out the school yourself, take a close look at the staff and even ask questions about their experience and credentials. You can ask about their training or if they are CPR certified. It?s a good idea to come prepared with questions upon your first meeting or tour.
- Educational
Preschool-aged children are constantly learning. A good preschool will have educational value and teach them the skills they?ll need for entering kindergarten. You don?t want your child to be sitting in front of a TV all day. They say a child?s brain is like a sponge, absorbing all of the knowledge they can. Did you know a child?s vocabulary grows from 900 to 2,500 words between the ages of 3 and 5? During the time they are enrolled in preschool, their brain will be growing and learning more and more each day. A good educational preschool will have an equal balance of arts and crafts, story time and learning of letters and numbers with a balance of fun and structure.
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