Essential Tips to Choose the Right Preschool for Your Child

Child’s Painted Fingers at preschool in Franklin TN

If you’re like most parents of young children, you’ve probably stressed a few times about choosing the right preschool for your child to begin their education. After all, formal education begins at age 5, but the brain does the most learning in the first five years of a child’s life, which makes it critical to select a quality preschool in Franklin, TN so that your child can maximize their potential for growth.

However, it’s seldom easy to differentiate between multiple extended care facilities, especially if you’re a first-time parent who hasn’t been through this before. The things that transform a good preschool into the best preschool aren’t always the same for all children. Before you start your search, here are a few things you need to consider!

Select Important Factors

Every preschool that you consider will have some standout features and some drawbacks for your situation. For example, one might have the exact curriculum you want for your child, but the hours of care conflict with one of your community activities. Another might have a well-defined daily structure that you think would allow your child to thrive, but you’re not sure if you can stretch your budget far enough for it.

Rather than look for the perfect preschool, you need to focus on finding one where the positives are the things you want most for your child, and the negatives are things that you can work around. If you need your child to be in a smaller class and don’t mind driving a few extra minutes to make that happen, that’s where you should focus your efforts. By choosing one or two factors that matter most to you, you’ll give both yourself and your child the best possible experience. Remember, it’s not about finding the perfect preschool; it’s about finding the perfect one for your child.

Ask Questions

Do you have specific goals in mind for your child to achieve in the next 12 months? This is the perfect time for you to ask your child’s potential teachers what they’re going to cover to help get your child ready for formal education. When you’re choosing a preschool, you might not have to ask many questions, because the instructors might cover everything that you prioritized.

But, if there’s something important to you that was left unclear, it’s your responsibility to ask. Every bit of information you get can help you decide if you’re at the right place for your child. For example, if your child is shy and you’d like to help them overcome that, you can ask about social activities and how participation is encouraged. When you scout out preschools, you should never leave without getting all of your questions answered to the point where you feel satisfied with the answer.

Examine the Atmosphere

Young children learn best when they’re playing, and that means a fun, happy environment. If you don’t see children having fun, laughing, or being themselves, it’s a sign that you’re at a preschool that won’t help your child grow in the way they need.

By the same token, if your child doesn’t feel comfortable talking to the instructors, you probably aren’t in the right spot for their needs. A good teacher knows how to talk to young children and make them feel comfortable, and when you find such an instructor, there’s a good chance you’ve found the right preschool for your child.

Much like daycare in Franklin, TN, preschool should be a fun place for children to learn, play, and grow, and we’re proud to offer top-quality, age-appropriate instruction at THE Children’s Academy. Feel free to contact us for information or a tour if you’re interested in joining our learning community. We have two convenient locations: Preschool in Franklin, TN. and Preschool in Spring Hill, TN.