Springing into Preschool: How to Find the Perfect Fit for your Family

01/08/2014

The search for a preschool for your child may not be something on your mind until it’s too late!  The earlier you start your investigations, the better!  Preschools, especially ones in higher populated areas of our city, fill up very quickly, and often have long waitlists of families hoping for a spot!  There are some guidelines and information that are important to take into consideration when starting your search;

Most important is to know what a preschool is!  A preschool is an early learning environment, primarily for children aged 3-5 years.  Some preschools accept children who are under the age of 3 years, but this depends on the individual preschool.  Preschools usually run classes that are 2-3 hours in length, and either have set days that children attend (for example 4 year olds attend Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, 3 year olds attend Tuesday and Thursday in either morning or afternoon), or some preschools let parents choose what days of the week their child, some preschools have mixed age classes, and some only run on certain days of the week.

All preschools must be licensed by the Alberta Government, and are subject to bi-annual licensing inspections to ensure each licensed program is following all licensing requirements.  When you visit a program, ask about their recent licensing inspection, and staff certification.  Part of the licensing requirements for preschools states that all staff must be certified or obtain certification within 6 months of being hired at a preschool.  When you visit a preschool open house ask about the staff, their experience, related degrees/diplomas/certificates (most preschool teachers either have a diploma in early childhood education, an education degree, experience working with preschool aged children, or all of the above!) and how long they have been with the program.  Licensed programs also require certain child to staff ratios, so ensure those are being met at the programs you visit!

Decide what type of learning experience you want for your child.  Different preschools offer different philosophies and policies on learning, programming and discipline and language.  When visiting open houses, ask what the program’s philosophy on learning is, and what types of discipline methods are used.   Most programs will offer a learning through play environment. Your child will learn through meaningful play based experiences :think counting and sorting objects found in the classroom, exploring in sensory tables, building with all different types of materials, open ended art opportunities, music and movement play, physical activity opportunities, dramatic play adventures and so on!.  Make sure there are age-appropriate toys, activities and outings planned for the children in the program.    Some programs offer different spins on the learning through play environment, with more specific preschool philosophies, including Montessori, Waldorf, Community/Religious, Cooperative, and Reggio Emilia, or teaching a second language such as French, German, Spanish or Ukrainian.  Do your research on these teaching styles and learning opportunities, and see what fits right with your child and your family beliefs.

Preschools are often run out of classrooms that are located in community leagues, churches, schools, or other community buildings.  Preschools can be affiliated with the building in which they are located, or simply lease or rent space from them, so be sure to ask when visiting or researching different programs.

Preschools are either for profit, or non-profit, therefore are either run by an executive board of directors (usually parent volunteers), or private owners.  Fees vary from program to program, so be sure to inquire about fees (including registration fees, participation deposits, resource fees), and what is included with these fees ( snacks, fieldtrips and special events).

Make sure you fully understand what is required for parent involvement.  Some programs require parent duty days, where parents are volunteers in the classroom and assist the teacher with the daily program plan, while some preschools have 2 or more full time teachers, so duty days aren’t required.  If the preschool program takes students on fieldtrips or have special events planned, staff will usually need parent volunteers for these events!  Be sure to ask about fundraising, and the requirements for each family.

There are so many things to think about and take into consideration when looking for a preschool program that is right for you and your child, as you can see from reading the above information!  Do your research, talk to friends, family and neighbours.   Communities often offer resources such as the Edmonton Preschool Association, which offers advice and guidance to parents and preschool teachers (members of the association pay a yearly fee, and in return their preschool is listed on the association website, and members are provided with professional development opportunities throughout the year, visit www.edmontonpreschools.com for more information) or visit the government of Alberta website for childcare resources at http://humanservices.alberta.ca/family-community/child-care-resources-for-parents.html  This site provides all kinds of resources for parents about provincial licensing requirements for preschools, finding licensed programs in your area, and so on.

Ultimately, choose a program where you and your child feel comfortable.  Observe the staff in the classroom.  Are they excited, engaging with the children and providing age appropriate programming and activities? Are the other children and parents in the program are happy, involved and eager to share the great things about the program you are looking at?  With a little effort and time spent researching and visiting different programs in your community and beyond, you’ll be sure to find the perfect preschool fit for your family!

~Ally Kothari is the director of a French Immersion preschool located in downtown Edmonton (www.grandinprescolaire.com), as well as the Vice-President of the Northern Alberta Preschool Teachers Association (www.edmontonpreschools.com)