There are so many options when it comes to choosing the right preschool for your child. Before making your decision, here are some important things to consider:
Location
I’m not talking about the distance from your home to the school (although that *is* something to consider), rather whether the preschool is held in a home or a commercial location. There are pros and cons to each option that you should weigh when choosing where to send your child to school.
- The comfortable environment of a home preschool can be a great bridge between the contentment of home and the formal setup of a classroom. The homelike atmosphere at Seed to Sprout can have a calming effect on children who are a little more nervous about attending school and provides all children with a sense of security and peacefulness.
- Many commercial preschools in our area do not have outdoor spaces, which is unfortunate because getting outside and moving our large muscles is a CRITICAL piece of early childhood education. Feeling the sunshine on our faces and connecting with nature helps ground us, and many behavior struggles in school can be alleviated simply by getting outside and moving our bodies. At Seed to Sprout, we are lucky to have a fenced yard with plenty of room to run, jump, throw balls, play with sidewalk chalk, and enjoy the garden and outdoor dramatic play area. There is no learning that takes place inside that can’t also take place outside, and we use our outdoor space as an extension of our indoor classroom.
- In South Jordan, home preschools can enroll no more than 8 students per class. This is a great benefit to you because it means more individualized attention for your child. My lesson plans are created around the interests of the children in the class. I do not recycle the same lesson plans year after year because the needs of each class is different depending on the children in it. We have lots of flexibility in our daily schedule to accommodate moments when children are highly engaged and need more time on an activity before moving on to something new. These are benefits that are difficult for commercial preschools, who serve large numbers of children, to offer.
Teachers
When the time comes to leave your child with a preschool teacher, you must feel comfortable with who that person is. A face-to-face meeting with a teacher prior to enrollment will go a long way in giving you a feel for whether they are the right fit for you. Does the teacher get down on your child’s level to communicate with them? Is their demeanor inviting to a child?
Some other important questions: What is the educational background of the teacher you are entrusting your child to? Do they hold a degree in early childhood education or child development? Have they completed a CDA or other training course? Do they continue to improve their skills through ongoing professional development? Is this just a job for them, or is it a passion?
While I don’t believe that a college degree is necessary to be an effective early childhood educator, I do believe that every teacher should know the WHY behind the way they teach their students, and that answer should be backed up by the latest research and information available about the way children learn. Preschool teachers should also exude a sense of joy for working with young children.
I hold a degree in Special Education from Utah State University, with an emphasis in early childhood and severe disabilities. I have an extensive background working with children–both with and without disabilities–from ages 3-5 and spend time every single day reading, listening, and watching experts in the field share their expertise in an effort to grow my own knowledge base. Every aspect of Seed to Sprout is an example of the WHY behind the way I teach.
Curriculum
Parents are often unsure what to even ask about when it comes to curriculum. Perhaps the most important question for your child’s teacher is “Is your curriculum developmentally appropriate?”. If you are observing lots of seatwork, product art, worksheets, and task-oriented, teacher-directed lessons, you will know that the program is missing the mark when it comes to being developmentally appropriate for preschoolers.
Instead, look for a classroom where children are engaging in self-directed play with open-ended materials like blocks and dramatic play toys, unique art that shows children had access to a variety of mediums and could choose their own outcome, teachers who are asking open-ended questions and working with students to solve disputes and communicate clearly with one another. At Seed to Sprout, I strive to offer a well-rounded, developmentally appropriate preschool curriculum where children are given long stretches of time for play and an environment with a strong focus on social-emotional learning in addition to academics.
Cost
If the tuition for a preschool is outside of your budget, then it is not the school for you, no matter how good it is. Preschool is one place for children to learn and grow, but it is not the only place. You might feel that your money is best spent enrolling your child in one or two recreational programs each week. Or perhaps you have several neighbors who are willing to participate in a preschool co-op where you each take turns teaching.
Having access to trained teachers who have a deep understanding of child development will provide many great benefits to your child, but please don’t stretch yourself too thin financially–the stress that comes with that isn’t worth it and your child will not be behind their peers simply for not attending preschool. Attentive parents who spend lots of time talking and reading to their child and providing opportunities for social interactions with peers are already doing a fantastic job supporting their child’s development!
Seed to Sprout offers competitive tuition rates for the South Jordan area and our mid-week attendance schedule means you’ll get more bang for your buck–no extra missed days due to Monday holidays.
What is your overall sense of the preschool?
Pay attention to your initial gut feeling when you visit a preschool and meet the teacher–your first instinct is usually correct. If the vibe you are getting during your tour leaves you feeling underwhelmed, check that school off your list and continue with your search.
My hope when you visit Seed to Sprout is that you will catch a vision of what a developmentally appropriate preschool experience should look like, in an inviting and comfortable environment, with a teacher who loves spending her days with preschoolers!