How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child - Book Review

As it states right on the cover, this book is "the ultimate guide to finding, getting into, and preparing for nursery school" and it really is.

Hensley will be two in October and although we've decided to forgo Preschool for her this fall, How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child proved to be an invaluable resource in helping us determine what schools would best suit our needs.

This book provided us with an easy-to-read, step-by-step guide for all things preschool-related. I know that this will become a book that I refer back to again and again.

From preschoolprimer.com:
The book features:

• Insight into popular programs (Montessori, play-based, language immersion, co-op)
• Criteria to consider when choosing a preschool
• What to ask and observe during your preschool visit
• Advice for paying for preschool (including financial aid and tax benefits)
• Tips for helping your child prepare for the first day of preschool
• Advice for those applying to competitive programs, including getting off a waiting list, preparing for child and parent interviews, and writing parent statements





TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1
PRESCHOOL PRIMER

• What Is Preschool?
• What Are the Benefits of Preschool?
• What is Preschool? (Day Care, Toddler Program, Pre-K, Transitional Kindergarten)
• Do I Have to Send My Child to Preschool?
• Is Private Preschool My Only Option? Is There Public Preschool?
• How Do I Know if My Child Is Ready for Preschool?
• So How Do I Get Started?

CHAPTER 2
GETTING ORGANIZED

• It’s Never Too Early
• Preschool Search Timeline
• Tips for Keeping Organized

CHAPTER 3
CHOOSING A PRESCHOOL: THE BASICS

• Consider Your Child’s Personality and Needs
• Consider Your Family’s Needs sand Values
• At What Age Do I Want My Child to Start Preschool?
• Sidebar: Redshirting—Should We Delay Kindergarten?
• What’s the Best Location?
• What Schedule Works Best for Our Family?
• How Much Can We Afford to Pay for Preschool?

CHAPTER 4
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PRESCHOOL

• What is the Classroom Like? (Mixed Age vs. Single Age, Classroom Size, Teacher-Student Ratio, etc.)
• What Are the Preschool Teachers Like? (Teacher Education, Teacher Turnover, etc.)
• How Is the School Run? (Preschool Director, Parent-Teacher Communication, Licensing, NAEYC-Accreditation, etc.)
• What is the Preschool Community Like? (Other Families, Diversity, etc.)
• Dedicated Preschool or Ongoing School (Preschool Attached to Elementary School)?
• What Does the Application Process Tell You?
• Sidebar: Feeder Preschools—A Leg Up in Kindergarten Admissions?
• Sibling Policy
• Choosing a Preschool for a Special Needs Child
• Sidebar: Preschool Selection Tips for Special Needs Children)
• What Are the School Policies? (Potty Training, Separation/Phase-In, Discipline Policy, Nap Policy, Meals, etc.)
• What Matters Most?

CHAPTER 5
TYPES OF PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

• Child-Centered vs. Teacher-Directed
• Play-Based / Developmental
• Montessori
• Reggio Emilia
• Waldorf
• Academic
• Daycare/Child Care Center
• Cooperative or Co-op Preschool
• Religious-Affiliated Preschool
• Language Immersion or Bilingual Preschool

CHAPTER 6
RESEARCHING PRESCHOOLS

• How to Find Preschools
• Narrowing Down Your List of Preschools
• How Many Preschools Should You Apply to?
• Checklist: Questions to Ask Current Preschool Parents

CHAPTER 7
VISITING PRESCHOOLS

• Deciding Which Preschools to Visit
• Opportunities to Visit
• Arranging the Visit
• Preparing for Your Visit
• Observations to Make During Your Visit
• What Questions Should You Ask the Tour Guide?
• What to do After Your Visit
• Sidebar: When Your School Visit Feels Like an Interview

CHAPTER 8
THE PRESCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS

• Open Enrollment
• The Waiting List
• Sidebar: Tips for Getting Off the Waiting List
• Regular Admissions
• Lottery System
• How Do Preschools Decide Who Gets In?
• Admissions Requirements
• Do’s and Don’ts of Applying

CHAPTER 9
SUBMITTING A STRONG APPLICATION

• General Information Section
• Application Questions
• Short Answer Questions
• Parent Statement/Essays
• Tips for Writing
• Common Application Questions
• Sample Parent Statement/Essay
• Recommendation Letters

CHAPTER 10
CHILD AND PARENT INTERVIEWS

• Child Interviews (Observation/Playdates and Assessments)
• Parent Interviews

CHAPTER 11
MAKING THE FINAL DECISION

• But We Still Haven’t Heard from…
• We’ve Been Waitlisted—What Do We Do Now?
• We’ve Been Turned Down by Our Favorite Preschool—What Do We Do Now?
• What If Your Child Isn’t Accepted Anywhere?
• Accepting an Offer

CHAPTER 12
PAYING FOR PRESCHOOL

• Determine Your Budget
• Getting Financial Aid
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Child Care Tax Credit
• Child Care Subsidies

CHAPTER 13
PRESCHOOL READINESS SKILLS

• Socialization
• Cognitive Skills
• Physical Skills
• Separating from Parents
• Potty Training

CHAPTER 14
COUNTDOWN TO THE FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

• During the Summer
• Three to Four Weeks Before Preschool Starts
• Sidebar: Recommended Books and Videos About Starting Preschool
• One to Two Weeks Before Preschool Starts
• Sidebar: Preschool Gear and Supplies
• Sidebar: Stress-Free Tips for Packing Lunches
• Sidebar: Lunch and Snack Menu Ideas
• The Day Before Preschool Starts
• The First Day of Preschool

CHAPTER 15
SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD THROUGHOUT PRESCHOOL

• Be Patient—There’s an Adjustment Period
• Communicate with Your Child and the Teacher
• Be an Involved Parent
• Get to Know Other Families
• Savor Every Moment

All in all, I loved this book. Thanks so much Family Review Network, for providing me a copy to review!

Buy It: You can buy How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child from Amazon.com for $10.19 plus shipping.

Disclaimer: I received this book to review free of charge. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.