How To Choose The Right Pre-School For Your Child: Here Are 14 Tips

1. List all the schools which are there in your city – take references from colleagues, friends etc and make the list of all the available schools in your city.
2. As most of the preschools are private, finalize the monthly budget you want to spend on your child’s pre-school.
3. Do you want the school location to be near your home or office ? As preschools are for a lesser duration of time, parents need to pick up and drop kids to school in between their regular schedules. So, depending on your schedules decide the location of the school.
4. Most of the preschools have two set of sessions, either morning or afternoon sessions. Choose the time which is convenient to you.
5. A few preschools require the kid to be potty trained; if you are choosing such a preschool, then make sure the kid gets trained well at home a few months before the actual school starts.
6. Make sure you check the credentials of the preschool; the school you are planning to select must employ teachers who have got their early childhood education degrees.
7. Visit the school with your kid and check whether the school environment is kid-friendly. Have a look at the class rooms, the play ground, and the way everything is organized. Are the toilets easily accessible? Are there enough toys to play with?
8. Check the teacher-student ratio in the preschool. The fewer students per teacher, the better it is.
9. Check about the school’s discipline policy. How do they handle rude behaviour at school? (Are they too strict or inflexible?)
10. Look at their curriculum, what are the teaching methods they follow. What are the daily activities in which kids are involved?
11. If they supply food to kids, check with them what their menu is, and what is its nutritional value. Check for food allergies and how do they deal with them.
12. Check for open door policy, and is there any restriction regarding visits to the school any time during the day or are parents free to visit the kid anytime.
13. How do they keep track on the child pickup after the end of the day? Who has the authority to enter and leave the school premises? What are the safety measures they take to ensure the child reaches the home safe?
14. Get feedback from other parents about the school. Ask them both pros and cons of the school.

Classroom image via Shutterstock