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Questions to ask re: Preschool

josselynjosselyn
in Toddlers: 24 Months+

Does anyone have a list of questions to ask a preschool?  We are just beginning to look into this for our almost 3yo and don't know where to begin as he has been home with us until now.

Thank you 

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Re: Questions to ask re: Preschool

  • lmdbwwlmdbww
    I have no idea but want to know, too! SFL!
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  • ebb7ebb7
    We've just started the preschool search, but the questions I've come up with have really been individual to the place - like maximum class size, how bathroom breaks work, the structure of the curriculum, how many kids go full day/half day, how they monitor entrance/exit to the building, etc.
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  • goodtobethelarkstergoodtobethelarkster member

    I know this is kind of a non-answer answer but I would recommend asking yourself what you want from a pre-school first. Sit down and Google Montessori / Waldorf / Playbased / Whatever and read up. What sounds good to you? How do you want them to approach structured time? Learning? Specific skills? Potty learning? Peer interaction? Communication with parents? etc., etc., etc... Once you know what you want you can do some basic research on the preschools that you feel meet your needs and then tailor your questions accordingly.

    Good luck!

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  • hollywoodgirl311hollywoodgirl311 member

    My DS is only 2 1/2 and has been in daycare since 8wks old. Some of the things I have been concerned with and we find important at this age are:

    Bathroom schedules - Do boys need to know how to use urinals versus the potty style from home (they actually have little urinals at my sons daycare so that was new to work with lol )

    Meals and snacks - do they provide anything, how much do you need to send, are there restrictions on foods, will they heat up any food or is it all cold like in school.

    Outside play time - When do the kids go outside, for how long, can I keep extra clothes, hats, gloves, ect at the school

    Learning schedule - what do they expect the kids to know at this point in "school", will your son need to catch up or may even be bored with the things they work on for his age group. How will they integrate your son into the group. 

    Different classes - Is it a large center that moves them into a new room every 6 months or does it work like a school year so they are with the same teachers til next year? What's the turnover rate of the staff?

    Field trips - do they ever leave the school?  How do they monitor who is picking up your child.  Can you come spend time with him in class if you want to.

    Medical care - do they require all of the children who attend to receive their vaccines?  What is the policy if you child gets hurt, do they have forms for you to sign to acknowledge that your child was injured, what hospital do they go to if there is a more serious issue. Policy if your child is sick, how long do you need to keep them out if they have a fever or diarrhea.

     Discipline - what do they use to ensure the kids are safe.  Is there a time out rule or cool off area?

     I'm sure I could think of more if I wasn't so sleepy with my 2 month old lol.   My DH and I are nosy so we are constantly asking the daycare questions about how things work. We use a daycare that goes from 8weeks up through kindergarten.

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  • kellnbrikellnbri
    another question that I asked that I dont think anyone mentioned was how many certified teachers they have.  Not all teachers in a preschool have to be certified, some can be working toward their certification also. 
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  • josselynjosselyn
    Thank you everyone, this is a great start!
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