The first thing that you should focus on, as a parent looking into preschools, is your gut instincts and the school’s philosophy. In Williamsburg, there are many choices for day care, preschool, and developmental learning centers and the search may take many forms: asking other parents, looking at on-line reviews, and touring the top choices. As a mother of 2 small pre-school aged children, I have strong and convicted opinions about my children’s happiness, their safety, and what they are exposed to, in a learning environment. Here is what I have learned:
Devour the reviews - talk to other parents
This is where you hear ALL the negatives and some of the positives – a great place to start when it comes to finding out where your child is going to spend a major amount of time away from you.
Talk to the teachers and watch the children play
It is proven – over and over – that children learn best through play – FREE play; this is where the best learning happens. So look for an open-ended, free-play environment – with many centers, different materials and choices. See if the caregivers give you time for questions, but still keep a watchful eye. See if they “love” the children and love being a teacher. Tired shows and children feel tired. Look for love.
Find out what the philosophy is
Look for a school that focuses on play, exploration, and creativity. In other words, you are looking for a discovery-based program, not one that is primarily focused on drills/practice, but one where kids are free to make choices about their learning.
Look at the ratios
Ratios are very important. There are standards. The younger classes (1:4) need more teachers. The older classes (1:10) still need lots of eyes and a strong, positive leader.
Watch discipline & behavioral guidance
Stay long enough, on your tours, so that you can see someone get corrected. Look for a positive philosophy that helps children understand what they can do as opposed to what they can't do. Discipline literally means to teach. From discipline, your child learns self-control and with that self- esteem.
Where can you find all this, in Williamsburg? That is easy: The Kensington School. Positive discipline. Open-ended free play. Lots of centers and choices. Love. Care.