3. What to Consider: Philosophies: Progressive Whole Child v. Traditional
Now as you are beginning your research you should have a basic knowledge of philosophies and curriculums and what you think will work best for your child. Schools should always have this information displayed on their website so that you can access it as well as a description of what it looks like within the classroom.
Actually, thinking about it now, if this isn’t discussed on their site that is something you want to take into consideration too. All parents should know the philosophies of their child’s school and the beliefs it is motivated by.
The Traditional Approach
In terms of philosophies, currently the two main approaches are whole child or traditional. These can be described further in another post but I can provide a brief synopsis here. A school that has a traditional philosophy will focus more towards specific academic goals, may have more structured teaching topics such as vocabulary, letter work, number curriculum, and may lean slightly more towards math and science in the older grades.
Progressive Whole Child Approach
A whole child approach is a more progressive take on teaching. It looks to address the education of the entirety of the child, meaning all areas of development. This goes beyond teaching to the cognitive and language needs, but also includes a child’s physical development, self help skills, social-emotional needs, and creativity needs. It seeks to teach all areas of the child versus what some may consider the purely academic needs.
However, what is important to note is that neither approach is wrong or right. It solely depends on your values and what you think will work best for your child. There are pros and cons to each and critics of both. So just think about what is best for your child and their learning behaviors.
4. Curriculum Tug of War: Creative, Reggio, Montessori, Traditional
The next step after reviewing a school’s philosophy is zeroing in on the kind of curriculum they implement. The curriculum is like the tool used to make their philosophy work.
For example, if a school believes in the whole child approach, they will have a more progressive curriculum such as Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Montessori, creative curriculum, etc. All of these can be categorized under the whole child philosophy, but each has its own individual nuances that make it special as well.
To some the specific curriculum or “tool” may not be as important as the overall philosophy, but it does still play an integral part. So make sure to give it a good read through since it will be the style of teaching and learning your child comes to interact with every day.
5. Observe your Child
One thing to keep in mind is that while you are doing all this research about possible placement options and learning different curriculums, etc. you will continuously be bringing in your observations of your child into your planning.
This is critical.
What to Watch for
It is obvious that all your time and decisions will be in the best interest of your child, that is a given. However, as you become more familiar with this new educational arena, check back with your child if you are unsure of something. Maybe you want to see if your child is extroverted or introverted, observe how they play with other children. Perhaps you want to know where you child’s strengths lay, observe them interacting with a wide range of toys and games, see where they excel.
The main idea is that as you engage with all this new information and material, go back to your child and observe them more closely to really see what would be best. And if you have questions whether or not a program would benefit them, that is something you can definitely ask during the question portion of your tour.
6. Tour the Programs
Make your Preschool List
Next, it’s finally time to schedule the tour! I would recommend making a list of all the schools you want to visit and their deadline for applying. Then just schedule them accordingly. The ones with the earliest deadlines should be first and the schools with the latest deadlines can come at the end. All others will fall in the middle.
Ask What Matters to You
You should also prepare a list of questions you want answered on the tour such as teacher to student ratio, extracurriculars offered, teacher turn over rate, etc. Make sure to visit that school’s website prior to your in person visit to familiarize yourself with their structure.
Applying to your Top Preschools
Once you have visited all the schools on your list, its time to make your decisions on which you will be applying to. Now for this, we can take a play out of the college application handbook. Just like for college, you are allowed to apply to more than one preschool. In fact you should, especially if it is the type of preschool that permits acceptance based on an interview process. Some schools are first come first serve, some feel the need to selectively choose their students from a pool. Therefore it is important to have a second and perhaps even a third choice. Ask the schools what their enrollment process is like and what is needed, then follow through accordingly.
Quick side note:
Make sure to submit whatever materials the school asks for prior to or by the deadline, including all payments. This is the first view the school has on how organized you are and how much you prioritize your child’s future placement. Make a good first impression.
7. Trust your decision…
Lastly, trust in your decision. If you have completed all the leg work.. if you have gone through the steps..if you planned out your schedule and have gone on all the tours…if you have done as much as possible, then trust that all that work culminated in a successful choice for your child.
Believe in your work and in your choices.
Believe in the team you have chosen to help mold your child.
And, if for some reason you do end up wanting to change programs, there is absolutely nothing saying you can’t :).
*Summary
This sums up the 2 part series for finding the ideal preschool for your toddler. I’d love to know what else you think should be considered! Let’s help each other out in making this important decision. Leave your ideas below. And if you have more specific questions about any area included in the series leave it in the comment section below. See you there!
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