Choosing your child’s preschool is an important choice since you want to give your child the best start in his early education, but you first want to ensure he will receive the best care.
For these reasons, there are really two levels to your preschool research. The first is to get the most basic items ensured. These include proper and loving care and nutrition. You must also ensure that the preschool location is reasonably convenient to your home or office. Given a choice between the two, it’s wise to choose a preschool close to your home, to make it easy for your child to attend preschool even when you have the day off work.
Once you’ve found a few schools that are convenient and that you’re confident will provide your child the proper level of care, it’s time to begin evaluating the preschools for their ability to provide early academic stimulation. Look for the following things.
- A classroom structure. Once your child enters preschool, they should begin getting used to a structured day, if they haven’t already. This early learning helps them to thrive in school, because they’ve mastered the idea of waiting their turn, sharing their toys and having structured times of the day for meals, reading, etc. This is of particular benefit to children who have been at home with a parent prior to preschool.
- Plenty of play. While learning structure is important – play is still the best teacher for children of preschool age.
- Additional activities. Choose a preschool that offers activities beyond the norm, if available. Outside programs like dance, martial arts or gymnastics provide body confidence and an early commitment to fitness, while programs like foreign language provide important brain stimulation.
With these three tips in mind, you should be well on your way to finding the perfect preschool in Eagen MN for your child.