Points to consider when choosing a preschool

The time has come to send your little baby to nursery school. It has been repeatedly pointed out that pre-primary school education has a direct impact on your child’s performance in later years. It is said that children who go to better quality pre-schools show better social, cognitive and mental skills. They have longer attention spans and stronger social abilities and better math and language skills. They are also likely to be more successful as adults and have better paying jobs, have their own house and be generally successful in life. While most schools have drawing and playing sessions they are all not the same. Here are tips to pick the most suitable preschool for your child:

Check the credentials of the preschool. Make sure the school you are selecting hires teachers who hold a degree in early childhood education. Check if the school is recognized. The school should have a scientific curriculum and should nurture the growth of children by introducing activities that develop their imagination.

The next point to consider is the number of hours your child will spend at school. Day care centers keep children for longer hours and look after them while the parents are away at work. They have a less structured environment than nursery schools. Nursery schools differ from day care centers.  They have a more structured environment and take children for a limited number of hours only. Decide on your needs and look for a school that correlates with your needs.

Check how the school deals with disciplinary issues. You must ensure that you agree to the school’s attitude to disciplinary issues. Are they very strict? Do they leave children to sort out their own problems?   Children get confused with mixed messages.

 One of the good things about school is children get positively influenced by peers. They imitate what their friends are doing and will eat what their friends are eating. Find out if the school provides meals or you have to pack it from home. What do they serve for meals?  Is the food served nutritious enough? Does your child like what is served? Don’t select a school where the teacher loves baking and you don’t want your child eating sweets.  

Find out whether the school encourages creativity. Are all the pictures hanging on the walls uniform or they are different? Does it look like the school encourages creativity or it encourages discipline. A picture with a baby sitting on a tree may show the creativity of the child. Does the school encourage children to show their creativity?

Are the parents allowed to visit the school anytime or there are fixed timings for parents to visit the school? Does the school have an open door policy where the parents are encouraged to walk in anytime or they have fixed visit time?

The next point to check is how does the school deal with safety issues. How do they track pick-ups of children at the end of the day?

Maximum brain development occurs in the first five years of life. Find out about the philosophy of the school, does it encourage the play-way method of learning or instills discipline in the child?