Every preschool for kids positions themselves as the best in childcare.
How can you really determine which programs will lead to a better future for your child?
While there are a number of factors that go into this question, there are certain characteristics that differentiate high quality preschool and child care programs from the rest.
When touring preschools, you should check out for the following signs:
- Warm Environment
A warm environment is necessary for your child to be free to express themselves.
Are you greeted by a smiling staff member? If you are able to see other staff members who seem happy, then it means that the preschool has a warm and welcoming environment.
What is the overall feeling you get in the building? It is important to do research, but you also have to trust your intuition. If a parent has a bad feeling, then that feeling is usually right.
- Low Teacher Turnover
Teachers are the most precious resource of any school. A good preschool for kids is able to retain their valuable teachers . Unfortunately, high teacher turnover is a big issue that most preschools face because good teachers are in high demand. A high teacher turnover disrupts your child’s learning because kids develop a relationship with their teachers. You should ask the school about how long their current teachers have been working with them? If all of the current teachers are new, then it means that this preschool has a high teacher turnover. A good preschool for kids has a low teacher turnover.
- Meaningful Student-Teacher Relationships
The way that teachers interact with students has a profound effect on their social skills and self esteem. Relationships matter during the development years. If your child is able to find a supportive teacher in their preschool, then that would be the best thing.
When you are on a tour of a preschool, you should watch how the teachers interact with the kids. If there is good back and forth communication then that means the kids have a meaningful relationship with their teachers. You should also look out for non verbal cues as they indicate trust.
- Clean and Healthy Classes
One of the first things that you should look out for is the cleanliness of the preschool.
Young ones are vulnerable to germs and illnesses. The world has gone through a pandemic in the last year and that is why most preschools have cleaning stations. If a preschool doesn’t have a cleaning staff, clean washrooms, and cleaning stations then you should pass on those options.
- A good preschool for kids has effective discipline strategies
A preschool should keep the kids free to express themselves but it is also responsible for teaching kids conflict resolution, self regulation, and using the right language to express themselves. The days for pointless discipline are over but the classroom environment still has to be regulated. Teachers need to develop an environment where kids can open up but also focus when required. When you go for a tour of a preschool, you should check how the teachers are talking to the students. Do they give them guidelines? Do they set classroom boundaries? You can also ask the school openly about their approach to discipline.