AS A PARENT, WHY IS CHOOSING A CHILD CARE / PRESCHOOL FACILITY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS YOU HAVE TO MAKE?
Why? Because the early years build the foundation for the rest of your child's life. Research shows that early relationships with caregivers, stimulating environments, and an engaged active child form a system that shapes the brain's growth and development (Shore 1997). With all the choices made available today, knowing what to look for and what to expect while visiting child care/preschool facilities is important. The guidelines and recommendations offered in this section will help you make a more informed decision on a facility.
Research at least three child care/preschool facilities before you make a decision. Once you have selected a facility, take your child for a visit (preferably 2 hours each day) three days in a row prior to leaving them on their first day of enrollment. This allows the youngster to become familiar with the facility, staff, and daily schedule to ensure a smooth transition into the preschool experience.
We only get one chance to raise our children. Take the time to choose wisely. Your child's future depends on it.
FIRST VISIT
During this first visit, give special attention to the following:Did the staff member greet me in a warm and friendly manner?
- Did the staff member stoop down to greet my child?
- Did staff act as though they were happy we stopped by?
- Did someone show you a copy of the preschool curriculum?
- Was it reviewed with you?
- Were you taken on a tour of the building?
- Did the building smell clean?
- Were the bathrooms and kitchen clean?
- Upon entering the classroom, did the teacher stop to greet you and your child?
- What was the teacher/child ratio? (Check you state’s requirement)
- Were the children in the classroom actively engaged in play?
- Was the teacher actively participating with the children in the classroom?
- When children moved from one activity to another, was it organized or did youngsters act as though they didn’t know what to do next?
- Were there adequate supplies in the classroom?
- Was the children’s artwork on the display?
- Were the toys age appropriate?
- Were there books in the room?
- Were there learning centers (housekeeping, blocks, art, reading, etc)?
- Were staff members speaking appropriately to children?
- Was the daily schedule posted in the classroom?
- Were you encouraged to visit the facility at anytime doing the day?
MEET AND GREET
Listed are suggested questions to ask the director:
- How do you group the children? By age? Mixed age groups?
- When do children move to the next classroom? On their birthday?
- At the beginning of a school year?
- Tell me about your curriculum.
- Is the curriculum teacher-directed along with opportunities for children to choose their own activities?
- What are some of the skills and concepts presented in a 3 year old class? 4 year old class?
- Is there a language/literacy program in place that supports kindergarten classrooms both in public and private schools?
- Do you have an assessment tool that can be shared with parents?
- How are parents included in classroom activities?
- Do you have field trips? How are they planned?
- For religious preferences, do you present holidays?
- Where and how do you have parent/teacher conferences to discuss assessments?
- Where do children nap? For how long?
- What is the teacher/child ratio during naptime? (Check your state’s requirement)
- What would you do if my child had a serious accident?
- How much time do the children have to play outside?
- How you work with the school system or private schools to know what they expect children to know when they enter kindergarten?
- Are you state licensed?
- Are you accredited by any national associations? Other accrediations?
OBSERVATION
Make special note of the following:
- Does the teacher have control of the room?
- As the children are moving from one activity to another, do they know where they should be or are they running around the room with no direction from the teacher?
- Does the teacher interact with the children? Does she ask open-ended question? Open-ended questions require more than one word answers. (Ex. How is this alike? How is it different?)
- Do children move from teacher directed activities to a child directed activities.
- Does the teacher alternate between quiet and active activities?
- Do the children appear happy in the classroom?
RED FLAGS
Listed below are "red flags" or undesirable situations to consider when choosing a child care/preschool setting:
- One may only visit by appointment
- Staff yelling
- Teachers grouped together sitting and talking in the classroom while children play
- “We write our own curriculum”
- Children appear “out of control” in the classroom
- Children sitting and not actively engaged in the classroom
- Children not interacting with teachers in the classroom
- Radio playing adult music in the classroom
- Cell phones being used in the classrooms
- Classroom schedules not posted in the classrooms
- Children wandering the hallways
- Teachers grouped together talking on the playground while children play
- No locks on playground gates
- Playground equipment needs repair
- Teachers watching TV during naptime
- Teachers sleeping during naptime
- Teachers listening to adult music on the radio during naptime
- Teachers talking on the cell phone during naptime
- Facility not licensed by state
ROADMAP
If a curriculum is not a part of the preschool experience, certain skills and concepts may inadvertently be omitted or left out of the day-to-day experiences. A curriculum guides the teacher to ensure children experience all age-appropriate skills and concepts.
Youngsters need daily schedules that present skills and concepts in a manner appropriate for their specific age. When this happens in the classroom, children feel empowered because they know what to expect and can feel control over their environment. They are learning how to become independent and make appropriate personal decisions within a group setting of their peers.
The curriculum selected for the preschool classroom not only outlines skills and concepts to be acquired by the children, but also, supports age-appropriate learning activities and provides accurate assessments for measuring the individual progress of each child. |
