There are many qualities of a good preschool because although many of them are great, they’re not all great! Finding a good preschool is so important to the future of your child’s school success! Finding a good daycare and finding a good preschool can be stressful, but these questions will help you find the one that’s best for you and your child.
This post is focused on preschool, even though some of the information pertains to a daycare facility.
Preschool is extremely important these days as kindergarten does not mess around! You do not want your child to lag behind the other children in their class. With a good preschool and some of your own activities that you do with your child, your child will excel!
You want to find a place that is nurturing, clean, etc., but you also want a preschool that is teaching your child and getting them ready for kindergarten. Going into kindergarten is not as easy as it once was – kindergarten is no more learning the letters of the alphabet, etc. In kindergarten, your child is expected to read by December.
There are many qualities of a good preschool. I have placed them into categories and created questions to ask yourself and the facility to make your search a little easier. I made a checklist of these items:
Your gut feeling about a place is important – trust it! NUMBER ONE!!!
STAFF and CURRICULUM
Is the facility accredited?
Does the staff seem friendly?
Is there a curriculum program that is being followed?
What are the credentials of the people that work with your child?
Is the owner/director there every day?
How is the staff’s interaction with the children?
What are the children in the preschool doing as you enter the building?
If you contact the facility at night, is there an answering machine? Will someone return the call that night, etc?
FACILITY and SAFETY
Is the facility clean? Are the floors swept, does it look fairly clean and organized?
Are there fire exits that you can see?
Who on the staff is CPR trained?
Is there an Emergency policy?
Are doors locked? Do you get buzzed into the building? Do you have to show ID at the door?
Are the outlets covered?
Are there cameras?
Is there first aid if your child gets hurt?
DAILY ROUTINE
What is the daily routine?
Is there a division of age groups?
How many children to an adult? The maximum is 6:1.
Is there a daily schedule?
Do they provide a nap time during the day?
Do they provide a snack time during the day?
What do you need to bring with your child’s to start? Extra pair of clothing, supplies, etc?
COST
How much is the cost?
Do you pay even if you do not bring your child for a day?
How often do you have to pay? Will the cost stay the same for the year?
Do you pay extra for field trips, events, etc?
Is there a cancellation refund in case your child does not adjust to the facility?
Does the facility run all year (some facilities close for time off in the summer)?
In Addition:
Check YELP reviews.
Ask other parents how they feel about the facility.
Are their complaints with the Better Business Bureau?
And don’t forget – go with your gut feeling about the facility!
In addition to finding a great preschool, it’s important to add some additional help to assure your child’s preschool and kindergarten success. I’ve added some of my other blog posts that can help.
Are You Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
Kindergarten Readiness Ideas From an Expert!
Help Your Child Get Ready For Kindergarten
How Else Do You Get Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
Activities to Help Your Child Get Ready for Reading
Top 10 Independent Learning Activities so Mom Can Get Stuff Done!
50 One-Minute Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
25 Ideas for Reading Skills Practice at Home!
10 Tips to Improve Your Child’s Reading Comprehension
Super Fun Ideas For Reading Practice
There are tons of resources available to you to help you figure out the qualities of a good preschool that are the most important to you. Please leave a comment or question below or email me at jean@reading-love.com or mrs.dehm@gmail.com and I will respond quickly. In addition, if you’d like a copy of this list, email me! I’d love to hear from you!
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Thank you! Preschool is so important!!!
I didn’t know that preschools would sometimes go on field trips. I would think that would be super fun for the kids, so that would be nice. I should ask about that when my kids get old enough for preschool and I need to find one.
Field trips are so educational! It’s never too early to get little ones ready for preschool/kindergaraten.
These are really amazing and valuable websites you have shared with us. Thanks for the informative post. Keep posting like this information.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy my posts!
I love this blog! very informative content.
Thank you so much! If there’s a topic that you’d like to see, please let me know!
Thanks for mentioning that the number one factor to consider when choosing a preschool is trusting your gut. My wife and I are thinking of looking for a preschool for our son because we’re contemplating introducing him to an academic environment early in his life. It seems like a good idea to consider placing him in a reputable establishment that’s accredited and has friendly staff so that he can learn effectively.
It is a tough decision, good luck with your finding a great preschool!! There are a lot out there!
I loved everything that you recommended to check to know if you’re taking your child to a good preschool, especially, when you talked about asking for the staff’s curriculum, knowing what is their daily routine going to be, and the facility’s safety. My 4-year-old son is ready to go to preschool, but I want to make sure I take him to the best preschool garden possible. I will definitely follow your advice, and I will let my husband know about it so that he also asks the same questions and information.
I’m so glad you liked the information! Please reach out if there is any other information I can help you with!
It’s a great point that you need to find a preschool that will help your kids learn what they need to know before kindergarten. My spouse and I are thinking about getting our kids in preschool so they can get a headstart on education. We need to find the right school in the area that fits our needs and wants.
That’s a great idea! Good luck with your search! There are plenty of great daycares out there so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs.
It’s good to learn that you should look at the credentials of the workers at daycare before choosing one. My wife and I are wanting to start a family and we were wondering what we should look for in putting our children into daycare. I’ll be sure to tell her that we should look at the credentials of workers before hiring a daycare service.
It’s so hard trusting anyone with your child, checking credentials can make you confident that you selected the right daycare!
My husband and I plan to send our son to preschool soon. I like how you mentioned that it is important for the facility to be clean and safe for your child. We will be sure to find out if any potential preschool has a good track record of safety before we send our son there.
Absolutely! There are tons of great ones, but just like anything else, you need to do your homework and check it out! Good luck to you!!