Preschool Decision 2011

by Rachel  Lenahan

When our children are born, we already know of all these choices we will have to make…what brands of baby products to use, what types of mommy and me classes to join, what types of foods to feed our children, which pediatrician to see, and the list goes on and on. But, now that I think about it, nobody ever told me about the difficult decision of choosing a preschool.

In the middle of January, I was catapulted into Preschool Decision 2011. Suddenly I found myself researching the local preschools, finding out which one would be the perfect fit for my son who would start in the fall. Church-based or not church-based? One day or two days per week? Mornings or afternoons?
Once I figured out the answers to those questions, I then had another subset of questions to be answered. Were the teachers certified or at least qualified to teach? Had the teachers taught for a long time? How many adults would be supervising my son? What types of activities would students be doing? Was it acceptable that my son might not be potty trained? Does the school provide lunch? If so, what do they serve? And these were only a FRACTION of the number of questions I had going into the search for the perfect preschool. I had to narrow the questions down. So I did some online research and came up with a list of questions that were most important to us as a family. These questions will vary from family to family, so pick and choose what is most important to YOU or tailor them to meet your child’s individual needs.

• What are the credentials of the teachers and staff? Are the teachers certified or qualified to teach Early Childhood Education? (This was perhaps our most important question and a BIG consideration for us.)

• What is the student:teacher ratio? (This will differ based on your needs. A recommendation from www.parents.com suggests 6:1 for two-year-olds.)

• Does the school have an open door policy? (Beware of a school that doesn’t allow you to stop by unannounced and doesn’t welcome parent involvement.)

• What is the discipline policy? (We use time-outs as our disciplinary measure and wanted to make sure there would be something similar used.)

• What are the costs? (Tuition, application fee, etc. Are there any hidden costs such as late pick-up fees that need to be discussed?)

• What is the student pick-up system? (Are students signed out? Can other adults pick up your child?)

• What are your instincts telling you? (This is SO important!)

I’m a researcher by nature and I even drove myself, along with my husband, crazy with all of the details.

We visited two preschools in the area. My husband and I walked into School A (I will keep the names confidential) and were blown away by the whole environment. After being greeted by the ultra-friendly and helpful school director and parent tour guide, we walked through organized classrooms and saw artwork displayed on the walls, well-designated play areas (dramatic play area, circle time area, kitchen area, book area) and even a painting station where children could just walk up to and start painting. Parents and teachers were interacting in a loving, caring way with the students. Parents were talking with one another. Students were playing together. Students walking into their classrooms looked happy and excited about being there. We looked at each other and just knew that this was the place for our son. It not only met our criteria, but we had a good feeling about it and we knew that he would be going to this school.

But again, I’m a researcher. I had to know more about other schools, just to make sure there was nothing better out there. So we visited School B. We walked in and immediately realized that this may not be the place to send our son. The director and assistant director greeted us in a very business-like manner, all the while were dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. They walked us through what we perceived to be a cold, institutional-like place, where the teachers didn’t seem particularly friendly and the kids played by themselves. It was a stark difference to the warm and fuzzy place from which we had just come. As a teacher, I feel like I have an “eye” for things that a non-teacher might not have. But my husband, who is not a teacher, said as we left the building, “This is not the school for our son.” I agreed. The feeling we got from School B was not what fit our family.

So the bottom line is this…trust your instincts. If a place doesn’t feel right to you, it probably isn’t. Not everyone who visits School A will love it, but we certainly did because it was the perfect fit for OUR family. But you need to find the perfect fit for YOUR family, and that can sometimes come down to instinct. Don’t be afraid to listen to your heart if something doesn’t feel right; and definitely listen when something does feel right.

Accessed www.parents.com on February 18, 2011.
Accessed www.babycenter.com on February 19, 2011.

Rachel Lenahan is a licensed K-6 teacher with six years of public school teaching experience. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to her two-year-old son.