Preschool for children is like a foundation you build that will eventually define the overall well-being of a child. As parents, selecting a preschool in Kathmandu might appear overwhelming. Specially when there is an abundance of preschools, offering a diverse array of programs.
You care about children’s future and you want to ensure quality education for them. So, how do you pick the right preschool for children?
When it comes down opting for a preschool, parents should focus more on teachers rather than fancy buildings and other superficial facades. Indeed, the facilities do matter, but more than that, the quality of teachers are the most important factor for learning experience of children. Always look for a school that has experienced and supportive faculty members.
Understanding the relationship between teachers and children is crucial to ensure their learning and development. Working with children is a tough job. So, when you’re visiting a school, make sure you observe the interaction between teachers and your children and inspect the classroom environment well.
Here are key things for parents to observe and notice as you visit preschool for children, before making any decision.
Teachers are talking to children intellectually
Early childhood learning is built on trusting relationships. How teachers are interacting with children on a daily basis determines their eagerness to go to school. This means, good teachers are nurturing and encourage a child in every possible way. A good teacher better understands the psychology of children. They avoid discourteous facial expression and body language
(yelling, clicking tongues, rolling eyes, speak loudly); and facilitate learning through love and kindness. The way teachers respond to children is vital for encouraging a positive relationship between them.
Teachers are helping children in every possible way
Preschooling time for children is the foundation for all their future learning ability, behaviour and skills development. The brain development process is so fast, they tend to learn through external environment i.e; their relationship with adults, parents and environment. If children do not get the right environment, their learning ability is impaired.
It is important to provide a supportive environment at education programs so they can develop various skills. Even when children are behaving inappropriately, teachers should focus on maintaining a reliable relationship with them. Teachers should promote growth environment for children through creative activities, games, songs and polite conversation. This way teacher has a better understanding of young children. Also, children can comfortably open up to the teachers and the interaction between them support their holistic development in different areas.
Playful learning in the classroom
Children are physically active and love to play. There are several benefits of physical activity for their holistic development. Playful learning is mandatory for children in preschool. Young children can learn faster through play and fun activities. In fact, playful learning is crucial for getting better academic and social outcomes as well as developing lifelong learning ability.
Many preschools focus on preparing children for rigorous school environment. So they prioritize tests and instruction based learning. However, these activities hinder the development of children’s oral and literacy skills.
Preschool must have a playful learning environment in the classroom. Teachers must facilitate new activities and challenges through games. Children should be free to choose their activities and make an individual contributions. Besides, teachers should ask thought-provoking questions and encourage them to think deeper.
Class size
Children need proper care and attention. If a teacher has to look after many students, s/he cannot be able to pay proper attention to each child’s needs.
The student to teacher ratio is a key indicator of a quality education program. A balanced ratio (range varies 5-15 children for a teacher) increases one to one interaction and supports child development. Hence, parents must consider the number of students in a classroom and find out the level of attention that teacher is paying to each student.
Location
When choosing a preschool for children, it’s important to consider a location near home or school. This makes your job easier to drop off or pick up your child every day. Also, your child shows readiness to go to school if it’s located close to your home.
If you’re a working parent, choosing school located near your office avoids the difficulty of commuting daily. You can pick up your child on time and this adds convenience to you as well. Even if children have to use school buses or vans, make sure they’re accompanied by supportive staff.
Promotes good personal cleanliness and healthy diet
As the saying goes, “health is wealth”, it is important for a school to maintain a certain level of hygiene and cleanliness. A clean classroom protects children from getting infected with germs and diseases. This helps to keep them clean and healthy. They will better understand the importance of personal hygiene and cleanliness and be able to build good health habits in their adulthood.
Besides education, parents should look after the cleanliness of classroom where student spend most of their time. If classroom is not kept clean, it will increase the risk of health problems. Make sure that you visit restroom so that you’ll find out how much school pays attention to cleanliness.
In addition to these, many preschools serve a snack or a meal for children. The food child takes determines their physical and mental development. If they’re provided with food, parents should inspect the quality of food given. Make sure they are provided with nutritious meals, healthy snacks and beverages (well hydrated with pure water). Also, parents should discourage children from eating junk foods and food containing trans fats.
School curriculum
Many preschool curriculum is developed by people who have no previous experience in the field of child development. Indeed it is important for parents to research the curriculum and find out how it helps their child. A great school curriculum must have knowledge with better understanding of children psychology, teach them various skills that helps them to learn faster and succeed in competitive world.
Every child is different and they have different learning styles. That is why the curriculum should accommodate learning style for different types of students. Also, the programs should be fun and engaging for children.
Cost of education
The cost varies within preschool depending upon their program and facilities. Parents should set a budget for their child’s education based on their income levels. Preschool for children can be expensive and can cause a lot of strain for young parents, therefore financial planning is very crucial. The quality of education matters but there is nothing wrong with financial planning and investing in your child’s education accordingly. There are lots of preschools offering quality education at minimum cost; Samriddhi School provides outstanding learning environment for preschool children at low cost.
Preschool for children at Samriddhi School
Samriddhi School is committed to providing an outstanding program for preschoolers based on research from child expert. Our preschool program meets your child needs in every aspect: research-based curriculum, experienced teachers, health and safety, appropriate class size, playful learning environment and appropriate cost. We care about your child learning experience and dedicated ourselves to the highest quality services as possible.
If your child is headed to preschool this year, we are running our new preschool classes starting from Sunday, February 10, on the occasion of Saraswati Puja. For more information, visit our school or contact us.