by Richard
There’s snow on the ground, a cloudy, gray overcast sky up above and winter coats on the hook next to the back door. Sounds like the perfect time to begin making plans for August. What? You mean you haven’t started planning on where you’re going to stick enroll the little dude for pre-school? Whoa, Nellie, dude. You’re running behind. Here’s a little precis to try and help you keep up.
A little, handy guide (hence the name of the site) to finding the right pre-school that fits with your family.
1. First of all, while recommendations are nice, there’s nothing like a little first-hand experience. I mean, it’s nice that the family down the street loves the Lightbringer’s Academy for Little Devils (an actual Biblical joke! Will wonders never cease?), but you still need to do a little on-site investigation. Try stopping by the prospective little dude warehouse pre-school when they’re not expecting you. It’ll give you a better idea of what the school is really like.
2. Understand that a pre-school isn’t really a warehouse for the under-kindergarten set, no matter what jokes I make. It’s purpose really is to get the little dudes and dudettes ready to attend school. (Oddly enough, when I started school, I went straight into kindergarten without all that fancy lernin’ stuff they’re doing with the young wippersnappers these days.) Anyway, you need to make sure the school has a curriculum of which you approve. That doesn’t mean the school needs to have an academic curriculum, just that it’s structured and will help the little dudes focus on learning specific skills. There needs to be a mix of “academic” activities and play time.
3. Equally important as the “academics” of a pre-school is whether or not it offers enrichment classes such as dance, literacy or music. Admittedly literacy is a pretty advanced concept for a four-year-old, but, hey, it works. Dance and music stuff is not only important in broadening little minds, but it’s also a heck of a lot of fun. Try to make sure the school you choose has a separate room for these sorts of activities. It gives the little dudettes and dudes a sense of what real school will be like.
4. Here’s a little homework for you. When you’re researching pre-schools, it’s probably a good idea to keep notes. And, what better way to keep notes, than by whipping out the ol’ spreadsheet program and getting to work? Okay, you can probably just use a pencil and paper, but I like computers. Things you might want to keep track of: cost, how far the school is from home, start and end times, days available, dates applications are due, what the teachers are like. This sort of thing will be helpful when you’re trying to winnow down the list.
5. Here’s an important, but grubby detail. Can you afford the school you like? It does the little dude no good if you find the perfect school for him, sign him up and then go bankrupt trying to get out from under the tuition, application fee and deposit. Not only that, but some school will also charge for materials and other incidentals used by students. Then there’s the possible extra charge if you’re late picking the little dudette up, that sort of thing. Money matters. Make sure you can comfortably keep up.
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