How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child: The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Getting Into, and Preparing for Nursery School
256
How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child: The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Getting Into, and Preparing for Nursery School
256eBook
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Overview
"The most useful tool out there for families about to embark on the search for a preschool!"
—Helen Cohen, director, Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center, Boston
A must-have for parents of future preschoolers
Starting preschool is one of the biggest milestones in a child's life. With this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, you won't have to navigate the preschool process alone. Whether the nursery schools nearby enroll every child, or they're so competitive that they only accept a few applicants, this book has everything you need to know to choose and get into the right preschool for your child. You'll learn:
- How to find high-quality preschools in your area
- Insight into popular preschool programs (Montessori, Waldorf, play based, cooperative)
- Key criteria to consider when choosing a preschool
- Strategies for paying for preschool (financial aid, tax benefits)
- How to help prepare your child for the first day of preschool
- Advice for gaining admission into competitive programs, including getting off the waiting list, submitting a strong application, and preparing for a child assessment
"This well-organized, comprehensive book will help parents navigate the world of preschool."
—Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum, authors of Practical Wisdom for Parents: Raising Self-Confident Children in the Preschool Years and directors of the 92nd Street Y Nursery School, New York
"A gift to every parent starting the preschool search."
—Irene Byrne, MA, author of Preschools by the Bay and executive director of the Phoebe Hearst Preschool, San Francisco
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781402256608 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Sourcebooks |
| Publication date: | 08/01/2010 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 256 |
| File size: | 886 KB |
About the Author
Jenifer Wana conceived the idea for How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child after going through the process of researching and applying to preschools for her son and while doing a pro bono consulting project for GreatSchools, a nonprofit education organization that helps parents find and evaluate preschools and K–12 schools.
Jenifer Wana conceived the idea for How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child after going through the process of researching and applying to preschools for her son and while doing a pro bono consulting project for GreatSchools, a nonprofit education organization that helps parents find and evaluate preschools and K–12 schools.
Read an Excerpt
Introduction
This is the book I wanted to read when I started looking for a preschool for my son, Josh. Unfortunately, it hadn't been written yet.
Like any parents, my husband and I wanted to find the best place for our son-a preschool that would nurture him, teach him, and be a good fit for our family. But I quickly learned that this would not be as easy as it seemed. I was overwhelmed by the options-when I was growing up, kids just went to the nursery school closest to home, if they went at all. I didn't know where to begin to find the best preschools in my neighborhood or what characteristics defined a high-quality program. Terms like Montessori, child centered, and co-op were foreign to me. School tours gave me a clearer picture of what each school was like, but I wasn't sure what I should be on the lookout for or what questions I should ask to see if it was the right place for us.
What I also discovered about the preschool process was that there is no process. Unlike college or graduate school, there are no standard time lines or admissions procedures that all nursery schools follow-and very few resources to help parents navigate the process. So I went to preschool fairs, attended seminars and panel discussions, read books and articles, and had countless conversations with other parents who had been through the process. I pored over school websites and brochures, toured schools, and filled out endless applications. For a few programs, I brought Josh in to be observed at "playdates" and wrote essays describing his strengths and challenges.
In the end, we were fortunate, and Josh was accepted to our first-choice school-even though, as we learned later, there were over two hundred applications for thirty spots (most of which went to siblings of students already at the school).
After helping countless other parents navigate their preschool search on the basis of my experience, my research, and the advice I'd received, I decided to pull all of the information together into a book to benefit other parents of soon-to-be preschoolers. I hope to demystify the process for those who don't have access to all the mommy lore from knowledgeable friends and family.
Whether the preschools in your town enroll every child that signs up or are so competitive that they can accept only a few applicants each year, this book will give you the tools you need to find, research, and choose the best programs for your child. You will learn about the different types of preschool philosophies and know how to put your best foot forward when applying to selective schools that can't admit every applicant. This book will also give you practical advice on how to help your child prepare for his or her first preschool experience and have a great first day.
Preschool is the first step in your child's educational journey. I hope that with this book as your guide, you'll be able to find the school that works best for your family, and you will start your child on a lifelong adventure of learning and discovery.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Chapter 1: Preschool Primer 1
What Is Preschool? 3
Do I Have to Send My Child to Preschool? 5
What Are the Benefits of Preschool? 6
Is Private Preschool My Only Option?Is There Public Preschool? 8
Chapter 2: Getting Organized 13
It's Never Too Early 13
Preschool Search Time Line 15
Tips for Keeping Organized 19
Chapter 3: Choosing a Preschool: The Basics 21
Know Your Child and Your Family 22
At What Age Do I Want My Child to Start Preschool? 25
What's the Best Location? 28
What Schedule Works Best For Our Family? 30
How Much Can We Afford to Pay for Preschool? 33
Chapter 4: What to Look for in a Preschool 37
What Is the Classroom Like? 37
What Are the Teachers Like? 40
How Is the School Run? 42
What Is the Community Like? 47
Dedicated Preschool or Ongoing School? 48
What Does the Admissions Process Tell You? 51
What Are the School Policies? 55
What Matters Most? 60
Chapter 5: Types of Preschool Programs 63
Child Centered versus Teacher Directed 64
Play Based 65
Montessori 67
Reggio Emilia 70
Waldorf 72
Academic 74
Preschool Settings 75
How Much Does It Matter? 81
Chapter 6: Researching Preschools 83
How to Find Preschools 84
Narrowing Down Your List of Preschools 87
How Many Preschools Should You Apply To? 90
Chapter 7: Visiting Preschools 93
Deciding Which Preschools to Visit 94
Opportunities to Visit 95
Arranging the Visit 97
Preparing for Your Visit 99
During Your Visit 101
After Your Visit 113
Chapter 8: The Preschool Admissions Process 115
Open Enrollment 116
The Waiting List 117
Regular Admissions 121
Lottery System 123
How Do Preschools Decide Who Gets In? 124
Dos and Don'ts of Applying 128
Chapter 9: Submitting a Strong Application 131
General Information Section 131
Application Questions 132
Tips for Writing 134
Common Application Questions 135
Sample Essays 139
Recommendation Letters 140
Chapter 10: Child and Parent Interviews 143
Child Interviews 143
Parent Interviews 149
Chapter 11: Making the Final Decision 155
But We Still Haven't Heard 157
We've Been Wait-Listed—What Now? 157
Our Favorite Preschool Turned Us Down—What Now? 160
Our Child Didn't Get a Spot at Any Preschool—What Are Our Options? 162
Accepting an Offer 163
Chapter 12: Paying for Preschool 165
Determine Your Budget 166
Keeping Preschool Costs Down 167
Financial Aid 169
Dependent-Care Flexible Spending Account 171
Child Care Tax Credit 173
Child Care Subsidies 175
Chapter 13: Preschool Readiness Skills 177
Social and Emotional Skills 178
Cognitive Skills 184
Physical Skills 187
Separating from Parents 189
Potty Training 189
Chapter 14: Countdown to the First Day of Preschool 193
During the Summer 193
Three to Four Weeks before Preschool Starts 195
One to Two Weeks before Preschool Starts 198
The Day before Preschool Starts 206
The First Day of Preschool 208
Chapter 15: Supporting Your Child throughout Preschool 213
Be Patient—There's an Adjustment Period 213
Communicate with Your Child and the Teacher 217
Be an Involved Parent 221
Appendix 1 225
Appendix 2 229
Appendix 3 233
About the Author 239