Looking For A Preschool For Your 4-Year Old Child? What You Should Look For
Finding the right preschool for your child is a very important decision as preschool helps them get ready for traditional school. If you are finding it difficult to find a preschool, below are three things you should look for in the preschools that you visit. This should help make your choice much easier.
Appropriate Learning Activities
The most important thing about preschool is learning so you need to ensure the school you choose provides the appropriate learning activities for the children. For example, all activities should be at the right age level. For example, a four-year-old should learn things like:
- Numbers
- Counting
- Shapes
- Letters
- Colors
- Gross motor skills
- Fine motor skills
- Independence
- Social Skills
All these things will give your child a head start in kindergarten. Talk with the head teacher at the school and ask if they can give you a list of activities they do in each of these areas.
Trained Teachers
Ask the head of the preschool how the teachers and other staff are trained. For example, all staff should be CPR certified, as well as first aid certified. The staff should know how to get children's attention and to keep their attention to ensure they learn well.
Preschool teachers will generally have a degree, such as in early childhood education. If not, they should have at least a few years of experience. If they say they went to college check with the college to ensure that they did.
All instructors should be aware of safety for the children, such as what procedures they need to follow in case of weather emergencies, such as tornadoes. They should also be aware of how to keep children healthy, such as wear sunscreen when outside and ensure they have enough water on hot days.
Teachers and Student Ratio
You need to make sure there are enough teachers in the preschool to go along with the number of children. There are laws about this, but it depends on what state you live in. You can contact your local Department of Education to find this information. The preschool will already know these laws, so they likely will have enough teachers for the children.
Children also need a lot of supervision while they are in the school. If there are not enough teachers to watch over them they could easily get hurt.
Talk with several preschools in your area to determine what you like for your child.