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What To Look For In A Preschool

Here are 4 main things parents should consider before choosing a preschool.

1. WHAT ARE THE AGES AND CLASS SIZE?
Children at age 2, 3, 4 and 5 are very different in their abilities socially, academically and even physically.  This is why you should look for a preschool where different ages are not mixed into one class. The class size should be small to ensure your child has many chances for individual attention throughout the day.  Some schools focus on a student to teacher ratio, meaning there could be 18 or more children in a single classroom.  This means if one child is struggling, one teacher will be helping them while the other teacher is left with the 17 other children. It is best to have a small class size with one teacher who can easily spread out her focus on her individual students.

Our school never mixes age groups as we realize their learning needs are very different.  We even have different curriculums for the different ages in our school. We also believe our small class sizes of 9 max for 3 year olds, 10 max for 4 year olds and 11 max for 5 year olds is very manageable for our skilled teachers to keep a fun learning atmosphere where every child gets plenty of attention and care.

2. WHAT IS THE SCHOOL FOCUS?
Some preschools spend all their time on the ABC's, while other preschools use the free-learning approach where the child chooses what to do all day.  Knowing what is best for your child can seem confusing.

A 1991 study showed that students in schools with an arts focused curriculum reported significantly more positive perceptions about their academic abilities.  A University in California (Irvine) reported that preschoolers showed a 46% boost in their spatial reasoning IQ after only eight months of piano instruction.

Our school uses the arts, especially music to enhance and increase academic learning and social skills.  We not only teach them how to play songs on the piano, all piano note names and basic note rhythms, but we use dozens of other instruments for activities in listening, sorting, graphing, orchestra play and more.  We also use singing and movement songs to teach good social interactions and increase coordination as well as right hand and left hand recognition.

3. HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT MY CHILD IS LEARNING?
Preschoolers are at an age when they cannot always remember, or may not be able to express clearly what they did during a day of school.  It can be frustrating for a parent to ask  “What did you learn about today?” and their child only be able to tell what they had for a snack.

We have had many years experience teaching children and working with parents and we understand the importance of good communication between teacher, school and parent.  We have various mediums a parent can use to get the information they are looking for:
♦  front desk always available to assist you
♦  parent teacher conference times always posted on classroom door for parents to sign up on
♦  informative bulletin boards, outdoor marquee and website
♦  yearly calendar as well as a monthly calendar will be given to you
♦  three designated parent days each year
♦  individual assessment forms so you can see your child's academic, musical and social progress at any time
♦  open door policy for parents to attend class at any time
♦  observation windows for parents

4. DOES IT FEEL AND LOOK LIKE A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR CHILD?
Not one school can be the best fit for every child.  Visit the preschools in your area and use your “Mommy or Daddy Instinct” as a guide.  Be sure to bring your questions to make sure you feel comfortable with the philosophy of the school, the balance of academic and free-play learning and of course look for clean, colorful and bright classrooms with a friendly, caring staff.

We invite you take a tour of our preschool. We would love the opportunity to show you our unique school!  If you would like, we can even arrange for you to try a sample class so you meet one of our wonderful teachers.
Clearfield
801-621-6683
620 E 1700 S
Clearfield, UT 84015
Ogden
801-621-6683
120 E 4700 S
Ogden, UT 84405