Questions to ask of prospective pre-school

[Lucysmom]

Hi -

I am not sure if this is the right spot to post this, if not please move it and accept my apologies!

I am thinking of starting dd (2.5 years old) in a pre-school program.  It isn't a true pre-school at this age, kinda like a first step towards pre-school.  She would go 2 times a week for about 3 hours a day.  I think she might really enjoy it as she likes other kids and is getting a bit bored at home with me.  She is an only child thus far. And TBH I think I would appreciate the break too.  And I feel really guilty about that, but that is how I am feeling. 

Anyway, I am wondering if there are any not so obvious questions I should ask of the teachers.  I know the student to teacher ratio is 4 students per teacher which I think is decent, right?  I also want to know how they discipline.  No snacks are given so I don't have to worry about the kind of snacks she'll be eating.  I am going to visit with dd next week, and I am sure they will give me a nice tour, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any pointers about what I should be asking/looking for.  Obviously I want the place to be clean and well cared for, the teachers and kids to look happy and engaged, but what else I should look for?

Thanks for any insight!

[lilmonkey]

Here's the guidelines I used when picking a school for dd.  I got it from a parenting newspaper.

Somethings to look for in a preschool:
1.  The environment:  the space should be where the children are comfortable.  Their work should be featured at their eye level.
2.  Developmenally appropriate practices:  the program should be centre-based with free-choice.  It should be well-planned and meet all the developmental levels of the children in the class.
3.  Philosophy:  the program should encourage plas as the child's work.  Process should be encouraged as opposed to the product.
4.  The discipline policy/other policies/communication:  Children should not be punished and should be taught conflict resolution and coping skills.  There should be open communication with parents.
5.  The staff:  They should be playing with children and not just watching.  They should respect the children and listen to their ideas, questions and opinions.
6.  Open door policy/volunteering: It should welcome parents in at any time unannouced.  Check for their volunteer policy, is it mandatory?
7.  Safety:  This is most important.  Check the procedures in case of accidents.  Will you be notified in person or writing or phone call?

I think that if you asks questions based on these principals then you should have it covered.  I found that if I have the questions written out then the interviewing process goes much quicker.  One thing that I most certainly do is visit the school unannouced and talk to the other parents.

HTH and good luck.

[tylersmommy]

We started Tyler in sort-of preschool when he was 2 yrs 9 mo. Don't feel guilty at all...he was an only child at the time too and the socialization really worked wonders for him.

Mimi gave you some great guidelines and questions to ask. Another that was big for me was security. Can anyone walk into the building at any time? What are their procedures for making sure a stranger couldn't pick him up? I should have asked about how they handle kids who are having a hard time adjusting, because Tyler sure did. He was NOT okay with me leaving. It turned out that they were very willing to work with me and dealt with it in a way that I was okay with.

Good luck!

[lilmonkey]

Good point about the security, Melissa.  The staff at dd's school seemed to know everyone by name/face.

[aisling]

Lurking please.

A x

[Lucysmom]

Thanks so much for this great info!    I will be going with dd tomorrow to check out a place, so wish us luck!    I have my list of questions all printed out thanks to you lot! 

[tylersmommy]

Good luck! Even after all of your questions are answered to your satisfaction, make sure you carefully observe what's going on around you at the school. There were a few minor things they did at Tyler's preschool that I wasn't a huge fan of, but I really liked the environment and his teacher and had a gut feeling that it would be a good fit for him. I went with that and I'm so glad I did. It's been over a year and his school has been perfect for him!

[Mom2katiebug]

I think you've got great questions and more will naturally come from the discussion, but I just have to say listen to your gut.  It will tell you A LOT about whether it's the right place for you and your DD.  Do you feel comfortable in the space, with the teachers?  If there was an issue do you feel you could work through them?  Also, ask about other activities for your DD beyond the classroom. My DD's daycare offers spanish, tumbling, play ball, music, dance and computer classes (depening on age). 

Let us know how it goes!

[Katet]

Most important go with your Gut...
The ONE thing that I would say would put any centre on my NO list was if you couldn't "drop in"... the centre where ds#1 is going to has an open door policy parents (or perspective parents)  can visit ANY time, when I rang to ask about it (2years ago) the Director said come & see us when every you want & my ds starts in late Jan, but they were more than happy for us to visit lots before term ended so he got used to it & that gave me a great chance to see how things were done... so much better than them answering my questions to see the teachers deal with "discipline" issues (which were done non punitively)

[Mum to cool dude]

Marking my spot for future reference (in the not too far future) - great advice, here 

[Lucysmom]

So I am back from our little visit, and my gut feeling is that it is not a good idea.  Granted, it is an old building, but it just felt dirty.  And the room that Lucy would be in was the one I liked the least.  It was big, but not brightly decorated featuring kids' artwork or anything.  It just seemed kinda pitiful IYKWIM.  There weren't enough books either and that really bothered me.  It was free play time when I arrived and Lucy joined right in and played and had fun.  However, the ladies were just sitting there watching.  And I know that toys are going to look "used" from being in such high circulation, but some looked grotty and old.  I mean surely they could buy some new toys, right?  And the woman who was in charge of the room seemed nice, but she didn't seem super in love with the kids.  I don't know, can't explain it.

So that is that.  I don't think there is another option for Lucy in our town.  I may look in the next town but I just don't know if anything is going to meet my expectations.  I am in a small working class town, so no fancy-schmancy options that I actually might be interested in (like montessori).  She could start real pre-school in September, but she will have JUST turned 3 on May 30th.  So I don't know about the wisdom of doing that.

Anyway, that is my update.  Thanks a million for your help and insight.