Things you looked for when choosing a preschool

[Anonymous]

My daughter will be going to preschool in the fall and registration is coming up in the next 3-4 weeks for most schools in the area. I am going to narrow down my list and then schedule visits (or attend set open houses) for the schools on my list, but this is my first experience in the preschool world so I'm looking for some advice on things that you looked for when touring preschools that said "good" to you. (Or, bad, I suppose.) Any good tips on questions to ask or things to look for when choosing which school would be best for us? (FWIW, I am mostly focusing on church-run preschools.) Thanks for any help!

[Anonymous]

Warm, loving, attentive teachers. A school that has a developmentally appropriate curriculum, which to me means not pushing the academics. One that is play-based. One that works on fine and gross motor skills through things like playdoh and playing outside. One that works on social skills, learning to share, being polite, etc.

[Anonymous]

Open door policy, adult:child ratio, staff (including director) turnover, how do they communicate with parents, how to they address behavior issue ie hitting biting throwing tantrums

[Anonymous]

I looked for:
play-based, no pushing academics
outside time
teachers -- experienced, loving, seem to enjoy the kids
student teacher ratio - the smaller, the better
close to my house
how they handle conflicts between kids (developmentally appropriate, meshes with my philosophy)
potty training policies

[Anonymous]

I looked for a non-religious play-based school. It seems like the majority of preschools are at least a little religious, so that narrowed it down for me quite a bit. Then I just got a good feeling from the school we ended up with.

[Anonymous]

Outdoor time. #1 for me (besides proximity/commute) was the amount of time ...in all weather!!...spent outside. Great playground.

Educated teachers, caring environment, etc. Firstborn was in a Montessori program in DC, second one play-based in N.Arlington. Very different programs...time will tell. Firstborn definitely had much more 'knowledge' by age 4.5 than play-based son does now. I will see how that plays out next year in K. Advocates of play-based stress by third grade- kids from these type of preschools excel...we'll see, we'll see. I know my kid is having lots of fun for now.

[Anonymous]

You also want things around the room to be labeled. Preschools don't need to teach kids to read (by any stretch) but they should teach PRE-literacy skills. ie these are letters. letters make up words. etc.

[Anonymous]

New poster here - can those of you who sought "play-based" schools please provide examples of how a preschool might "push academics"? It's hard for me to imagine what academics might look like in the preschool context. Flashcards? Homework? What? Is Montessori curriculum "academic"?

My DS is not yet pre-school age, but I'm curious about these distinctions and labels that I frequently hear about.

[Anonymous]

Know your child's personality and try to picture her there. We toured a Montessori yesterday for DS. DH and I both commented afterwards how we could see our son really enjoying himself there. But we also noted that it would not be a good fit at all for our daughter. It was nice that we both came to the same conclusions. Our kids have different personalities and different needs. Find a good match and it should be a great year! Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I also have an upcoming 3-year old and just wanted to thank pps for their comments. I appreciate your words of wisdom!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I looked for a non-religious play-based school. It seems like the majority of preschools are at least a little religious, so that narrowed it down for me quite a bit. Then I just got a good feeling from the school we ended up with.

+1 It's so hard finding good preschools that aren't religious. This narrowed down the list quite a bit for me too.

[Anonymous]

The Academy of Christian Education (ACE), strives to provide a high quality, academically accelerated education.

http://www.ace-academy.com/ace/About_Us_Landing_Page.html

Anonymous wrote:New poster here - can those of you who sought "play-based" schools please provide examples of how a preschool might "push academics"? It's hard for me to imagine what academics might look like in the preschool context. Flashcards? Homework? What? Is Montessori curriculum "academic"?

My DS is not yet pre-school age, but I'm curious about these distinctions and labels that I frequently hear about.

[Anonymous]

Commute time of 10 minutes or less. Otherwise you spend half of your morning just driving to and from school, and never have enough time to get big errands/chores done.

Lots of active time, outside and inside. Is there a dedicated play space when it's rainy?

Age-appropriate curriculum and expectations. No worksheets, no memorization, anything "academic" should be approached through play, and should take a backseat to socialization and exploration.

Warm, nurturing teachers. Lots of messy art projects (so you don't have to do them at home) and music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here - can those of you who sought "play-based" schools please provide examples of how a preschool might "push academics"? It's hard for me to imagine what academics might look like in the preschool context. Flashcards? Homework? What? Is Montessori curriculum "academic"?

My DS is not yet pre-school age, but I'm curious about these distinctions and labels that I frequently hear about.

My kid had to write in a journal each day and had homework each week when he was four. Which infuriated me. I wanted him to play, be social, learn "pre literacy" skills. He was in a daycare with an accredited preschool curriculum, and it was difficult to move him, or else I would have found something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Commute time of 10 minutes or less. Otherwise you spend half of your morning just driving to and from school, and never have enough time to get big errands/chores done.

Lots of active time, outside and inside. Is there a dedicated play space when it's rainy?

Age-appropriate curriculum and expectations. No worksheets, no memorization, anything "academic" should be approached through play, and should take a backseat to socialization and exploration.

Warm, nurturing teachers. Lots of messy art projects (so you don't have to do them at home) and music.

Thanks, this is a big help!