According
to Steve Barnett, director of the National
Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, a majority of
low-income four-year-olds are enrolled in preschools and child care centers
that are of poor quality. These children already have two strikes against them
and mediocre child care may be the final blow.
Even though it’s “only
preschool,” what happens before kindergarten matters. So how can you tell if
your child’s preschool or child care center is good enough? What should you look for?
Your
child may not have the disadvantages in life that low-income children often
have. But quality child care matters for your kids too.
The
first thing to look for is that a child is enrolled. According to Barnett, even
poor preschool is better than no
preschool. Children who get no preschool start kindergarten already a year
behind. This is because what matters in kindergarten is not so much academic
ability – things parents may think they’re providing at home –but habits of
mind necessary for school. Children who come to school knowing how to work in a
group, how to follow complicated directions, how to do school work, and how to
pay attention in the midst of distractions, these children are ready to learn.
And these are the skills that even the most inadequate preschool develops.
The
second thing to look for is a teaching staff that knows how to work with
children and enjoys teaching them. A good child care or preschool teacher
should know how to develop children’s skills in pre-math and pre-reading. She
should know how to guide children’s behavior without squelching their
curiosity. She should be respectful of children’s ideas and she’s got to be
nice. She has high standards but she knows her job is to help children reach
them.
In
a preschool run by a school district, teachers should all have a bachelor’s
degree and teaching certificate. They will be well-paid and will have access to
lots of professional development. If your school district doesn’t offer a
preschool program or if your child is ineligible for your district’s program
(some are limited to children with low-income and other risk factors), then
find the very best preschool or child care center you can with the very best support of its
teachers.
- Ask about a teacher’s preparation. At least some college is better than none.
- Ask if the school closes for professional development days (even though this is an inconvenience for you, it’s something you want).
- Ask about the number of children per teacher.
- Ask how long teachers typically stay and how quickly they leave.
- If you can, watch teachers in action.
You are
looking for the same professionalism that teachers display at your local
elementary school. Are teachers proud of what they do or are they always on the
lookout for a better job?
Third,
find a place where play is center-stage. Play is the medium by which children
learn. The Tulsa, Oklahoma public preschool program, showcased as a national model, devotes
two hours of unstructured “free” play every day for every child. Sit-down
instruction, with children filling in worksheets and memorizing facts, is not a
positive thing. It’s just plain inappropriate for young children. In a good preschool or child care center,
children are moving around, doing interesting things together, as their
teachers observe, guide and ask questions.
Noticing
a quality preschool or child care center isn’t difficult – the signs are
obvious or can be discovered by asking a few questions. Finding a quality
preschool or center may be more difficult. But the results are worth the search.
Your
child’s school success is determined in large part by what happens at age three
and four. Choose quality for your child.
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