Ready for Preschool?

Next year we will be enrolling Ozzy for pre-school. Some parents started their kids early at 3 y/o but I felt mine was not ready yet so I just had him start of with Gymboree to have a feel of how it is to sit down for a few hours, have a teacher and classmates. So far he is doing really good. He participates and he listens to the teacher. As a parent, I am curious on how to choose the right preschool for my kid. I don't want it to be so rigid yet I still want him to learn discipline. Research, research, research! Finding the right mix is the challenge for us. Also, the travel time of the school from our house should be considered. The schools environment and its safety precautions should also be on top of our list, for example if it has a school alert system or not. This mass notification system can be used to broadcast urgent messages relating to safety, closings, or any critical situation that can put the parents at ease.

I've read that here are a few key points to consider when choosing the school, firstly, to what extent are children allowed to make choices about what they learn and when? secondly, How much of the activity is teacher-directed versus child-directed? Thirdly, how holistic is the school in its educational ideas? That is, does it take children's social and emotional growth and developing values as seriously as it takes the Three R's? Fourthly, do the environment, activities, and the attitude of the teachers seem pleasing to you, and will they suit your child's personality? Does the atmosphere seem warm and joyful? And lastly, how involved are parents? How actively does the school seek out parents' ideas as well as their help? How actively involved in the school do you want to be?

As a parent just trust your instinct, talk to fellow moms and bring your toddler for a visit to the school and see for yourself if he enjoys it or not.