How to Choose West Side's Best Preschool

Preschools make a profound impact on a child’s life as they serve as a conduit that connects children to the outside world. New York City plays host to a number of acclaimed preschools, but choosing a suitable preschool can be a daunting task. I am listing some methods that parents can follow in the hopes that it will help them choose the right preschool for their child..

Trusting the conscience:Trusting the “gut feeling” can lead to some very good results. A parent should pop in at a west side preschool a few times of the day to observe the interaction of the staff and their children, and also other parents with the children. Parents should also consider interacting with each other.

Competent Educators: A good west side preschool is the one where the teachers appear calm and competent, and the teacher to children ratio is good enough so that the children don't seem neglected or left alone too long to cry and fall into misbehavior. Parents should inquire about continuing education for staff, how closely management supervises them, and what management is doing to prevent the frequent turnover which plagues many early-childhood education locations.

Developmental and age appropriate curriculum: Parents should ensure that there's a lot of hands-on play, art time, books time, physical exercise, and ample time for rest and quiet play.Overly scripted or structured "school-like" preschools are wrong for children and might lead to regret later it if the parents fall into the "Keep Up with the Joneses" trap of competitive child development.

Frequent parent-teacher communication: Do the teachers send home a daily or weekly report of what the child has been doing? Are there parent-teacher conferences twice a year, especially for the "seniors" who will be going off to kindergarten the next year? These are the things that parents should look out for while assessing any west side preschool. A checklist of kindergarten readiness traits, assessed by a teacher, is also an important tool. Even a modified type of report card is a plus in the communication process.Having a Parent-Teacher Organization in the preschool is a very good sign. Lots of parent volunteer opportunities is another good sign. Do staff and parents socialize together occasionally and get to know one another fairly well? That's the best sign of all.