6 things to consider when choosing a preschool for your child

Proximity to home and play facilities should be considered the most important criteria when choosing your child's first school.

Last night a parent wrote to me, "Finding a school for your child is such a hassle." Kindergarten is an important school because at that time the child is not yet able to protect himself. Here are some tips I have learned after seven years of being an educator.

Choose a school near home

A school close to home saves you time and keeps your child healthy. Preschoolers shouldn’t have to spend hours in the car commuting to school and two hours a day sitting still in the middle of the road.

Photo: Hiroyuki Oki.

Read the information on the school's website carefully.

Read carefully the information about the method, educational model, tuition fee, parent handbook to see if it is a culture that fits your family culture. You should choose a school that fits your lifestyle. There are many educational methods in the world that meet different needs and styles of parents such as Montessori, Steiner/Waldorf, Harkness, Reggio Emilia...

Choose a school where children have the most play time.

Vietnamese children do not have a place to play, so you should choose a school that allows children to play the most. Having a large yard does not mean they can play a lot. Read your child's daily schedule to see how many hours they can play outdoors out of the ten hours at school for the best development. Your child was born in Vietnam, your child needs to adapt to the natural conditions in Vietnam and needs to play outdoors to increase resistance.

Visit the school before deciding to send your child to study.

When you visit the place, you will know more about the space where your child will play, study, eat, go to the toilet and directly interact with the teachers there.

Talk to the teacher who will teach your child

Ask to meet your child’s teacher. The teacher is the one who determines the quality of education your child will receive. That’s who you need to meet to see if they are the kind of teacher your child will spend ten hours a day with.

Observe the children of that school playing in the yard.

Look at the children in the school you are considering sending your child to, see how they play with each other, the language they use, the interaction of the teachers when they are playing. That is the most complete picture of the quality of education of that school. If you see bright eyes and the whole yard filled with happy laughter, that is the school you should choose. Happy children love learning.

If you cannot choose a school for your child because of financial conditions, always remember that family is the most important place to help a child be happy and love learning, not school.

According to VNE