8 WAYS TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD

Children grow really fast, don't they? Before you recognize it, they already have learned to crawl, sit up, and then walk. And in the blink of an eye, it would be time to send them to start their preschool journey, right?

Well, now selecting a preschool for your child can be pretty intense.

Sushmita, a mother of a 5 year old and a phenomenal early child care teacher, she shared her experience with us, how she was puzzled in selecting the best preschool for her daughter. She mentions there is no one, right answer and there is no perfect preschool, but there are many great preschools out there that can be just right for your child.

Choosing a preschool is a first major life-impacting decision we make for our child. How do you know which one is the right for your child? Well, there's no single answer for that, no fixed formula will please all, since each parent looks for a different order of priorities when evaluating a preschool.

How to choose them exactly?

Gleeful grows comes to your rescue with 8 Ways to choose the right preschool for your child.

1. Your child -

First and foremost, think what your child need. What makes your child comfortable? What makes your child learn? How your child responds when is around somebody? Does your child need personal attention or your child can learn with group of students? What will be the most challenging about preschool? Will it be the separation from your child?

I know, all the parents want best for their child. But when you think about your child's personality and tendencies, will help you recognize for which the school everyone else is raving about might not match up with what your child needs most.

2. The teachers -

Teachers are second mothers for your child who will be responsible for your child's well being when your little one is away from you. Before enrolling your child in any preschool, try to have a conversation with the teacher. If you are able to observe a teacher while in a class, watch to see how a teacher is interacting with the children. How is she explaining the concept to the children or she is just talking about the topic. Look for a teacher who is engaging and creates a language rich environment. Also it's imperative to give a check of the teachers are adequately qualified and experienced to handle such little kids.

3. The Environment -

Always check the environment of the school. Is it too silent? Are items easy to reach for a child? Does the classrooms are interactive enough for a child? Do they have a reading corner? Check the furniture and fixtures. Does the decoration of the room is oriented to child's view? It’s not always important that a preschool should be lavish. All preschools are different and have mixed blessings. But there is no perfect school. It might be possible that some schools have excellent infrastructure but not very experienced teachers. And some schools have best team of caregivers in modest and simplest surroundings.

4. Communication and Transparency -

Check for a preschool that should maintain a transparent channel of communication with parent community. Yes, almost every preschool has CCTV facility but do check how much a parent can watch or is the school is providing the online CCTV access to your mobile phones. It is extremely important that you can check your child anytime, anywhere and can totally relax. Also, check how often teachers and principals are available for your concern.

5. Talk to other parents -

Always talk with your friends and neighbors about preschools in your area. You can check with the parent who had experience with the particular preschool. Start by checking if the teacher- student ratio is suitable to provide each child appropriate attention. Are the teachers qualified to deal with children of this age or they just bored housewives passing time with a convenient job?

6. The Distance -

Distance plays a pivotal role. It is significant and crucial change in a child's life to start a journey in a new world away from home and parents. Thus, it is important to ensure the overall transition should smooth and comfortable. Don't go for a preschool that is far from your place as your child will exhaust in travelling and may not be willing to go to school. Look for school which is not too far from your place and have safe and comfortable transport system.

7. The other children -

If you can observe a class in action, check how children are interacting with each other. The way children interact, it can tell you a lot about how social skills are promoted. While the early academic skills gained in preschools are important, the number one, the most important task for preschool is building social skills.

8. Methodology -

The curriculum in pre schools may vary. Different pre schools follow different approach. Many follow play based curriculum or learning by doing method. Some follow famous Montessori Method given by Italian educator Maria Montessori. Check for the pre schools which work on the overall growth of the child as holistic development of a child is important to shape his/her personality and helps in the long run.

There’s no one, right answer, and there are no perfect preschools, but there are many great preschools out there that can be “just right” for your child. (8 Ways to choose the right preschool for your child)