Finding a Preschool That Fits Your Child

When selecting a preschool for your child, you'll have several things to consider. Some of these will be based on your individual circumstances, but we all want our children to experience the best. Preschool is the first exposure to school. How they experience preschool can shape how they will anticipate school later on. The things you learn while here and the friends you make establish traits that you'll be sure to carry with you for the rest of your life. Therefore, it's important to take all best measures possible when selecting the best course of action for your children.

First you must look at your family's needs. Are you looking for a preschool to teach your child actual social skills? Do they need to teach letters and shapes? How about colors? Or do you want to do some of this at home without the supervision of your child's teachers? There's no right or wrong answer here, and it should simply come down to your individual preferences. Act based on what you think is right.

Some parents only need a preschool for certain hours in the day. Other parents both work full time and require full time day care. This will certainly impact your preschool needs.

When looking for the right preschool, make sure you have already identified what is most important to you. The chaos of visiting preschools that have lots of active children can be distracting so you may not get the most accurate picture as to what you should expect when you take the time to visit these schools during the course of a normal day.

Call ahead before visiting a preschool and request a meeting with the director. He or she can explain everything about their preschool. It is a good idea to bring a list of your most important questions to ask. You'll also want to visit with the teachers and tour the facility.

During the tour, keep your eyes open. You can learn a lot from the moods of the children who are already there. Look at what is on the bulletin boards. Write down your impressions and follow up later with any additional questions.

After you have visited all of your possible preschools, compare your notes on each and select the one that you most prefer. But the selection process isn't over yet. Now take your child back for a visit. Bring him into the classroom and introduce him to the teacher and the other children.

If your child seems comfortable, this is probably a match.