Start Your Preschool Search Early
How is separation at the start of the school year handled? Do the classrooms feel warm and welcoming? How does the school celebrate holidays? There are so many things to consider when it’s time to find the “best” preschool program for your child. The “best” preschool is one that fits you and your child’s needs.
To find the best program that for you and your child, start your preschool search early. This way, if you don’t get into your first choice, you have a few as backup.
To help start your preschool search, consider these options:
Write everything down.
Write down everything that you want in a dream preschool. Do you want a preschool closer to more? Or, near your workplace? Do you want the education philosophy to be more play-based? Or, academic?
Identify your priorities and start your search. When using the Noodle Preschool Search, the largest and most comprehensive search of early education and preschool options, parents can search for criteria such as location, age of child, scheduling, and more.
Do a background check.
Whether you check with the moms you know that have kids currently in preschool or you start you preschools search online, it’s important to get the 411 on the school’s credentials. Preschools have to be licensed by the state, which means they have to meet minimum state health-and-safety standards. Be sure to find out if the schools are your list are licensed.
Also, see if the school is vetted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Using the Noodle Preschool Search, search for your schools on your list to see if they have been evaluated by the NAEYC. For example, check out Crescent Park Children’s Center Noodle Preschool profile.
Trust your gut.
After you’ve asked a few questions over the phone, it’s time to meet the staff in person for a preschool tour. When you meet the director, ask everything from hours to teaching philosophies to security measures. Go with your gut feeling and how your initially feel when the director responds to your questions.
When you visit the classroom, find out the educational background of the teachers. The teachers should hold a graduate degree and be state certified. Also, notice the physical environment – is it safe and clean? Is there natural light? Does it seem warm and inviting?
Visit the school with your child.
Before the official first day of school, take your child to visit his new teacher to see how they interact together. Do they interact well together? Does your child seem interested in the activities?
Make sure that your preschooler feels at home right away. Your teacher and your teacher’s assistant should be busy and fully engaged with your child in activities, even guiding a quiet child out of their shell.
39 responses to “Start Your Preschool Search Early”
My granddaughter is 20 months old so soon her parents will be faced with these questions about preschool. Tailoring to the needs of the family is important for these formative years.
This is definitely good advice. It can seem time consuming to find a good school, but thorough research does pay off.
This is an excellent post. I agree that parent’s should start looking a preschools early so that they don’t feel rushed. It’s a big decision.
Wow, so much info that you never think about, thanks for all the information.
Really good advice, thank-you.
Thank you for this article. My youngest is going to preschool this year :'(
Really great advice!
Great tips! Get a feel for the school’s schedule, too. What time is breakfast? What time is the last afternoon snack? Will your child need an early dinner? Almost any consistent schedule will work for school. The trick is to make it work for your home schedule, too.
It’s important to visit the preschools and ask if you can observe a class in session to watch the interaction.
This is really good advice; it’s definitely a good idea to start early and spend time looking for the best daycare for one’s kids. Thanks for sharing!
So many things to consider! So important to start your search early!
Oh great tips on starting early and doing research!
thanks for the information. Very useful.
I love the tip where you just trust your gut! So many of us have doubts as parents and we trust and do it anyway. You have to go with your instincts! If it doesn’t feel right, you should not be leaving your child there. The best advice I got from my mom when I became a parent was to trust my gut and it continues to work for me!
I think that it is important to visit the school with your kid to see how he/she responds in that environment.
Great adice! Thanks and thanks for the giveaway!
Love this post! I am just now starting the search for a great preschool for my daughter and it is daunting! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the great advice. My little grandson will be going next year for the first time. I will make sure I inform my daughter of your suggestions.
These are some great tips to keep in handy when searching!
All your tips are excellent. Your right, I think it is important to follow your gut instincts.
Awesome
Great tips with today’s school budget cuts preschool is really needed!
This is great advice.
You are never to young to learn
I love the tip “go with your gut”. When my son was becoming of preschool age, we searched around for various preschools in the area. There were several that we visited, but one of them in particular gave me a peace. That is the one that we went with and we have been happy with it ever since!
Maureen
maureen.tenney@gmail.com
You have some great tips and valid points. Thanks for sharing.
Great tips, we found our preschool by asking other Moms and getting recomendations.
We have 3 grandchildren under 15 months so this information will come in handy real soon.
Good advice! Trusting your gut is definitely important.
great post. I think it’s worth it to see what schools are in your area before you settle down in a long term rental or buy a house as well.
Awesome & important tips! Before preschool I did a mock run at home what it would be like, mini recess, lunch, activities and taking care of their school things, so they weren’t shocked or crying. I was the one crying, when I dropped them off lol. Thank you for sharing.
Good advice for parents to heed
Great pictures and helpful info. Thanks for the tips.
This is great advice for parents regarding preschool.
I’m going to give my granddaughter a copy of these tips. She has a 3 year old and will be looking for preschools soon.
This is great advice thank you.
These are great tips and advice. When my son was approaching preschool age, I had him on a waiting list to attend a program at our local college. He did get in and it was a great program. I am very glad I did my research. 🙂
Congratulations to your son for getting in the program 🙂
Great article. These are important factors to consider when searching.