When looking into schools for your child, the first place to start is the type of philosophy that aligns best for you and your family. There are two components; one being developmental and the other being more traditional/academic.

Under the developmental umbrella there are:

There are some spinoffs of play based schools and outdoor programs that typically have the combination of the above philosophies.

Important to look for:

-Is there a curriculum/pedagogy director?

-How experienced is the teacher? If inexperienced, do they have a mentor?

-What type of training does the teacher have?

-What ongoing training is offered to the teachers?

-How do they handle transitions? How do they help the child separate and adapt to the classroom in the beginning of the year?

Classroom Dynamics to look for are:
1. Student teacher ratio: for preschool and kindergarten I like to see a 1:6 ratio (unless it is an outdoor program in which they may need more assistants).

2. Number of students in the class: preschool and kindergarten should have less than 15 students and between 22-25 students for the upper grades. (In public schools kindergarten is typically larger.)

3. Layout of the classroom and how they utilize the space. I look for a circle time area, pretend play area, reading section and table and chairs that are ergonomically designed for students to eat snack and lunch. I also look at what types of materials are used. Do they offer toys that are multipurpose, and made of natural materials like wood, felt etc. I look to see if the classroom has electronic or battery operated toys, as they only have one purpose and do not allow the child to engage their imagination as much.

4. Layout of the outdoor areas and how they utilize it and types of equipment available: static playground set and/or do they open-ended items that help engage the child’s will. Is the classroom brightly lit because that can be overstimulating as well.

Food Policies to look for:

1. Do they provide snacks and if so what kind. (Ideally I like to see less packaged and more fruits and vegetables, etc.)

2. Do they have sugar policies for lunches, holidays and birthdays.

Conflict Policies to look for:

How are conflicts handled and how do they help the child develop their social/emotional skills
Do they insist on sharing? Do they have the gift of time where they sit with children and help process feelings and learn appropriate language to use when the child is frustrated?
What happens when a child is aggressive? How does the school handle it?

Sick Policies to look for:

How do they help minimize the spread of germs? Do they only encourage children to be fever free for 24 hours or do they encourage children to be fully rested before returning to school?
Does the teacher have any problems calling the parent if the child is tired or run down?

Security, Safety and Parking to look for:

Convenience: how close is the school to home? Personally, I am willing to drive for a school that I love.
How is pick up and drop off handled?
If the school entrance is on the street, do they have a guard or front desk? How do they ensure kids don’t run out? How do they manage people coming in and out of the school?
What are the family alerts systems like for emergencies? How are emergencies in general handled (ie: fires, earthquakes, etc)?

What to Look for When Choosing a School