It's that time of year - where is your child going to preschool in the Fall?  It's a big decision and we are lucky to have many options in our area.  Where do you begin?  How do you find the right fit for your child and for you. Below is a great and very informative article on how to select a preschool.   I hope you find it useful and helpful.  For a complete list of preschools in our area, click here.  I wish you luck and success as you seek out a preschool for your child.

The OaksParent.com Team

Choosing The Right Preschool For Your Child

A search for the right preschool can be quite confusing, especially if you have never done it before. After a few visits it becomes apparent that not all preschools are alike! There are private non-profits, private for profits, church or temple run preschools, college lab preschools, co-ops, Montessori's, rec. & park preschool classes, preschool experiences through the public school, half day programs, full day programs and much more. There is so much to choose from and each one operates just a little differently depending on the size, setting, staff and philosophy of each individual school.

Today's preschool classroom is very different from our elementary school memories and even from the "nursery school" settings of yesteryear, and for good reason. The field of early childhood education has grown and changed as research continues to show ways that young children learn best. Brain research now shows that young children learn best by using their whole bodies to take in information. They do this using their senses in what we typically call play. Child initiated, curious, creative, experiential play is the secret. A school with developmentally appropriate learning experiences is play-based and the children are the active participants using their senses to see, taste, smell, hear and touch the world around them. Their teachers are resourceful play facilitators offering supplies and props to enhance the play as opposed to play directors. Preschool is not the time for children to be sitting while the teacher does all the talking. This is the time when children need to be doing. Look for a school that provides opportunities for your child to learn in this way.

Asking for recommendations of good preschools from friends and neighbors is always helpful. Hearing that a school has a good reputation is also a good thing. But this will be the first of many important decisions you will be making about your child's education. In order to make an educated decision, you need to know what to look for and you need to see for yourself. Keep in mind that you know your child best and trust your gut that you will know where your child will fit in best.

So what do you look for in a good preschool? Children that are actively involved in activities that interest them. What do they need to learn in preschool? That learning is fun and how to get along with others while they are doing it. Its as simple as that. There's a lot of talk about using the preschool years to "get ready for kindergarten". The curriculum for kindergarten is serious business these days so this is a legitimate concern. But if children have the opportunity to explore what interests them, they develop attention spans. They learn because they want to not because they have to. The drive comes from within.

Social skills such as sharing and taking turns happens naturally through gentle guidance from caring adults and by being given the opportunity to practice conflict negotiation skills. Age appropriate activities at this stage do not involve rote learning of letters and numbers. Children are exposed to the these letters and reading concepts through stories, rhymes and songs. Cooking activities, block play and counting games all involve math in a fun way and that has meaning to children. Research has shown that children who learn in this play-based method are eager learners making them better equipped and ready for the challenges of today's kindergarten curriculum and beyond.

Initial results from academic early childhood settings, where formal instruction of reading and math take place, show impressive gains initially in the learning of such concepts of letters, phonics and numbers but these results taper off by early elementary. Children who are given the opportunity to explore and experience their learning through self-initiated play-based learning in early childhood settings are self-motivated learners that catch up and surpass their counterparts from the academic setting as they progress through elementary school. For more information on play-based early childhood settings and how they are related to brain research on learning , check out Deborah Stipek's Motivated Minds, Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff's Einstein Never Used Flashcards, or Jane Healy's Your Child's Growing Mind.

Keeping all this in mind, here's what to look for when you visit a preschool:
1. Are the children actively involved in play? Are there many choices of activities for the children? Young children need to move more than sit. Pay close attention to this especially if you have an active child.
2. Does the outdoor play space provide opportunities for climbing, running,and riding bikes? Are there enough sand toys? Is there access to dirt, sand and water to enhance the natural play of preschoolers?
3. Is there long periods of time for the children to play uninterrupted? A highly scheduled day with activities divided into short segments causes unnecessary interruptions in children's play and slows the growth of attention spans. Solid one hour blocks of time are ideal for indoor or outside play.
4. Are there blocks, enough trucks and trains to create a pretend village?
5. Do you see things out to build with such as legos, pegs and puzzles?
6. Is there play dough? This should be a staple in every classroom.
7. Is there a play house area with dress up costumes and dolls? Pretend play with friends develops imaginations and promotes the growth of positive social skills.
8. Is there easel painting? This is another staple in a preschool classroom. Do you see creative art that does not involve precut samples by the teacher? If it is on display, is it at the children's level to enjoy?
9. Is there a story time? Do you see a reading corner with many picture books for children to choose from for independent reading?
10. Is there music time and does it include plenty of opportunity for the children to move and dance?
11. Are the teachers engaged with the children? Do they get down to the children's level to speak to them? Do they appear to enjoy what they are doing? Children build trusting attachments to their preschool teachers. Longevity in staff employment is a good sign, heavy turnover is not. Ask about the staff.
12. What is their discipline policy? Time out chairs and trips to the director's office provide quick fixes but for the true social and emotional work to be done at the preschool level, children need to practice together conflict resolution skills through the guidance of a caring adult at school (and at home for that matter!)
13. Do the children appear to be in good health? Ask what the illness policy is at this school.
14. Is the classroom clean and is the equipment is good repair? Is the restroom also clean and well supplied?

There are a lot of good schools to choose from in our local area. Visit them more than once before deciding and visit them at different times of the day. Call for an appointment, find out about the enrollment process. Each school is a little bit different. Be thorough and thoughtful and your child will gain confidence from your confidence that you have found him just the right place.

Good luck with your search!
Georgette McBreen
Parenting Instructor, Conejo Valley Adult School Parenting Program

Do include a visit to our Parenting Program classes in your search. At Horizon Hills we have a unique setting that pairs parents and children in the best of both worlds. Parents are the registered students and they bring their children to class! We offer a fine example of a play-based learning program with classes for parents and their children who range from birth through the preschool years. As partners in this learning experience, the parents and teachers work hand in hand in the classrooms with the children. This is hands on learning at its best where adults can learn about child development and hone their parenting skills as their child's first teacher. Parent discussions on pertinent parent education topics also round out this enriching atmosphere for all families who participate. Call (805) 492-8837 if you would like to come visit our school which is at 33 Greta in Thousand Oaks. We would love to have you come see what we have to offer you.

For a complete list of preschools in the Conejo Valley, please click here.