What do you look for in a Kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

My son will be starting kindergarten in the fall and I'm going next week to visit a couple of the schools in our area.

We're no longer in the DC area, so I don't have any school specific questions here, but I'm wondering what I should be looking for or asking about, other than just getting a gut reaction to the teachers and environment. I just feel clueless about the whole thing.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Here's a good website:

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/10.signs.kinder.K12.4.html

I do not like to see kindergarteners doing worksheets, with their desks in rows, and with lots of seated work. They should have journals to write in (or draw in and dictate to their teacher), a variety of other materials with which to write and draw and cut, a variety of books and a cozy place to read them, manipulatives for math, hands on science activities, time for outdoor play, art and music time, opportunities for dramatic play and time for individual, small and whole group interaction with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Not the OP but thanks for that link. It's sad but most public school kindergartens do not fit the Top 10 Signs in the article.

[Anonymous]

Language Immersion! Pick a school (or school district) that offers language immersion opportunities.

Learning a second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual growth and leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and improved listening skills.

From PBS Teachers' archive of Best Practices articles:

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/language.html

[Anonymous]

If you are looking at extended day, you want a school where the principal has a great relationship with the director of that program.

[Anonymous]

I think it's hard to come up with a checklist of things to look for, but after checking test scores and such, we ended up going with the school that seemed to be most aware of the range of abilities that are appropriate in children. I'd be concerned if a school pushed delaying students, especially boys, because they'd adapt to school better if they were older. A good school adapts to meet students' needs, not the reverse.

That's not to say that schools shouldn't have expectations of students; of course they should. But we went for the school where the principal said, "We want students to learn to evaluate their own behavior and judge whether they're being safe and respectful" and ran like hell from the place where the principal said, "Every child will be reading by the end of kindergarten."

Both were public schools.