Getting Ready for Preschool

Chances are that at some point in your nanny career you will be helping parents to choose a preschool. But do you know all the types of preschool programs out there? There are many different philosophies when it comes to early childhood education. Knowing the options can be invaluable to a family as you can help steer them to the program that meets the needs of the child and fits in with their family's beliefs.

Below is an article from the Parenting Press on choosing a preschool. Parenting Press has a free e newsletter and it is excellent. Be sure to sign up at their website Parenting Press Newsletter Signup

*** Getting Ready for Preschool

If you have a toddler and you're thinking ahead to preschool, you'll find helpful tips in Jenifer Wana's "How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child"  (Sourcebooks, 2010). As this mother of two discovered when she sought a preschool for her older child, there was lots that she didn't know about nursery school. "Terms like Montessori, child centered and co-op were foreign to me," Wana writes. "I didn't know...what characteristics defined a high-quality program." 

How complicated can it be, you may be tempted to ask, and for those in small communities, with only one option, the choice is often simple: go, or no go. If you live where there are many preschools, Wana suggests you start with such basics as:

- Cost (tuition plus the expected charitable donation or participation in fund-raising projects) 
- Age to enroll
- Your child's personality
- Your educational goals for the child
- Schedule
- Location
- Parent commitment

A major issue can be schedule: if you need full-time child care, you'll probably eliminate all those part-time nursery schools. If you have a child in another program or school, think carefully about how you're going to get between the two locations for drop-off and pick-up. (The "News for Parents" editor knew that the 15-minute difference in pick-up times for her two children would be tight, but it turned out to be a constant source of tension, because the older child's class did not end on time, and then the kids had to pick up their coats and backpacks and be escorted as a group down stairs to the school door to meet parents, further reducing the time available to get to preschool.) 

Location is a factor for the ordinary (commuting and parking), the occasional (birthday parties and holiday celebrations to which parents are invited) and emergencies (how far away are you when your child becomes ill or is injured in the middle of the day). 

Parent commitment is another important issue if you work full-time during regular business hours. Co-ops usually require parent participation in classrooms on a rotating basis. Parents also often handle finances and fund-raising, classroom maintenance and web site design. 

When it comes to personality, the author poses a valuable question. Do you want a preschool that matches your child's personality or one that challenges the child to adjust to something different? 

"If you have a shy child, will she be uncomfortable in a large, boisterous class or will it challenge her to develop her social skills?" writes Wana.

Ideally, she continues, you'll find a program that suits both the child's current interests and temperament and also encourages the development of other skills. For example, a preschool with lots of free play and some structured activities will give your child the opportunity to pursue his own interests as well as learning to sit still and participate in group activities.

Other considerations:
- Do you want a program in your neighborhood so that your children will meet kids that may become playmates for years to come?
- Are you seeking an emphasis on social and emotional development like sharing, taking turns and making friends?
- Do you want a focus on academics such as math and reading?
- How important is diversity, whether racial, socioeconomic, religious or sexual orientation?
- Are you interested in a foreign language or a religious context? 
- Do you want a mixed-age or same-age classroom? 

Child-centered or teacher-directed?

Wana describes the common teaching philosophies as either child-centered or teacher-directed. Child-centered means kids choose their own activities, and they learn at their own pace, playing by themselves or in small groups. Teacher-directed means structured, with teachers telling children what to do when. Most preschools have some of each in the daily curriculum. The most common preschool philosophy in the U.S. today is "play-based," or "developmentally-appropriate," or "progressive." A child-centered curriculum, it's based on the belief that children learn best through choosing the activities that interest them at the time. Three common child-centered programs are:

Montessori

Montessori is based on the work of Maria Montessori in the early twentieth century. The focus is academic, but at the child's own pace. Children learn to cook and clean up as well as cursive handwriting and basic math using manipulatives. As Wana explains, a school may call itself Montessori without being affiliated with the Association Montessori Internationale (which she say more often follow Dr. Montessori's teachings closely) or the American Montessori Society. A school may also call itself Montessori without having Montessori-trained teachers. 

Reggio Emilia

Like Montessori, Reggio was developed in Italy. In it, the project-based curriculum is guided by student interests. Parents are also encouraged to participate in curriculum planning and sometimes even in school policy, says Wana. For more information she recommends the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance and the Innovative Teacher Project. 

Waldorf

Founded by Austrian Rudolf Steiner in 1919, the Waldolf approach has a strong group orientation and predictable structure and routine. The emphasis is on creativity, the arts, cooperation and working together. Wana says there is no academic focus. To use the Waldorf name, a school must be affiliated with its local Waldorf organization and teachers must be trained through the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. 

Academic

Sometimes also called traditional, this is a more-structured, teacher-directed preschool focused on kindergarten readiness, with lessons on letter sounds and names and learning to count. Kids also learn such classroom etiquette as raising hands to speak. 

Assessing readiness:

How can you tell if your child is ready for preschool? Most likely, says Wana, if:

- She is content spending time away from you or her other primary caregivers.

- He can play by himself for short periods, can focus on coloring, a puzzle or another task for several minutes and can follow simple directions.

- She can participate in such group activities as story hour and circle time, and she can play cooperatively, understanding the concept of taking turns and sharing (even if she doesn't demonstrate those all the time).

- He can use words to express his needs and desires and ask questions.

- She can handle such basic self-care as washing her own hands and eating by herself. Some preschools require that children be toilet-trained, although occasional accidents are expected. 

Remember, as the author notes, your child does not have to demonstrate all of these when you begin the preschool search or application process; you can be working toward having the child prepared when he or she actually begins. 

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