So, when sending your child to kindergarten, or choosing individual classes in educational and sports centers, determine the priorities that are most important to you. And we will help you pay attention to the most important aspects and criteria.
1. Assess the territorial location and your capabilities
1. When choosing a place for your child to study, you should undoubtedly evaluate the territorial location of the institution first of all. At least, this is what happens at the very first stage.
2. Go around all the kindergartens that are within walking distance. Talk to the mothers from the children's sandbox, look for information online and on social networks, and ask about the impressions of parents who pick up their children from kindergarten in the evening: many of them can be very talkative.
3. The more a mother is interested in the topic of education for her child, the more it becomes clear that territorial location plays an important, but not the dominant role: today's preschool institutions (private or public) can differ greatly from each other in many respects.
And if there is a decent kindergarten near your home (work), you are incredibly lucky. Think about it, your child will spend most of the day in kindergarten. And this time you should not underestimate his future life.
After all, it is during this period that the formation of basic skills, character, general knowledge, and abilities occurs. The environment, psychological comfort, wisdom of adults, interest in what is happening - all this will contribute to the careful development of the baby.
This is why it is worth evaluating not the kilometers to the kindergarten (which will definitely pay off in the future), but the level of happiness for the child within its walls.
2. Security and improvement
Territory
● Since all parents may have different priorities when choosing a kindergarten: for some, the methods and level of education are important, for others, food, for others, comfort and amenities. But in any case, you should not neglect the safety of your child in a preschool institution.
● Be sure to come on a tour. Pay attention to the presence of its own territory. See how reliably the kindergarten is protected from unwanted guests? Are there enough play and sports facilities, additional equipment, balls, bicycles, etc. Take a closer look at the cleanliness and tidiness of the territory.
● Pay attention to how the teachers behave during walks with the children, do they communicate with the children, do they participate in joint games, and do they control the territory?
● Assess the distance of the playground (sports) area where children will play from motorways and highways.
Building and groups of the kindergarten
● Carefully inspect the room where the child will be for most of the day. Assess the color scheme of the walls. Too intense colors overload the nervous system. Look at how the groups, music gyms, and other rooms in the childcare are equipped, and how cozy and safe they are. Assess the quality of the furniture and toys, see if the sockets are covered, pay attention to the presence of fire and security alarms, and video surveillance.
● A well-thought-out and well-organized environment arouses interest in learning and helps to focus on what is important. Toys should not overload the space: it is difficult for a child to be surrounded by overstimulating objects all day long.
● You should pay particular attention to stairs, if any. They must be equipped with handrails at the child's level, and the walls along the stairs must be free of distracting elements. Check with the kindergarten staff and see if children can move along the stairs on their own without adult supervision: free walking should make you very wary - it is unsafe.
Environment and staff
● You should also pay close attention to the cleanliness and freshness of the air. Ask the staff how often the rooms are aired and cleaned, what temperature is maintained, how often toys are washed, and how linen is changed. Is the bathroom equipped according to the child's height and needs?
● It is also worth paying attention to special equipment (humidifiers, air recirculators), which will help prevent illness and the spread of infections during periods of increased viral infections.
● Parents should definitely find out whether there is medical staff in the kindergarten, whether they can provide first aid, and what they will do in an unforeseen situation.
● Exhibitions of children's work, information, and advice for parents will give an idea of the professionalism of educators and specialists.
3. Methods and approach to teaching
● Go to the kindergarten, talk to the teachers and parents who take their children, feel the atmosphere, look at other kids: if most children are interested in studying, are free, relaxed, easily approach the teachers, there is no constant nagging from adults, then your child will be happy here. After all, it is impossible to fake or buy the level of happiness of a child.
● It is worth inquiring whether the educators have a specialized higher education that confirms their professionalism and ability to work with preschool children. It is very important that the views on development and education coincide between the kindergarten specialists and the parents.
● Ask the educator the most important questions for you, for example, how will adults react to bad words, a fight, or if the child does not want to eat, sleep, etc. The child may behave differently, but this should not go unnoticed by adults.
● When sending a child to a kindergarten or an early childhood center, you should clarify what the maximum number of children will be in the group, whether all the children fit into the age indicators or whether this is a mixed-age group: the number of children more than 15 makes it difficult for the teacher to pay equal attention to each child.
● Pay attention to the use of modern teaching methods and ideas: programs created 20-30 years ago are not at all suitable for the development of a modern child. The world has accelerated and it is very important to develop a quick reaction to current events. A child must be able to learn and relearn: what is relevant now may become obsolete in three or four years.
4. Nutrition
The availability of high-quality balanced nutrition in the kindergarten is undoubtedly a big plus for a preschool institution. Sanitary standards regarding the organization of preschoolers' nutrition are quite strict and the availability of a permitted private kitchen indicates the possibility of observing the correct technological process in the preparation of dishes.
Ask the staff about the possibility of creating an individual menu if your child has a food allergy and the possibility of adjusting the diet if necessary.
5. Additional children's activities
● The more intense and interesting your child's stay in the kindergarten you have chosen, the more pleasure he will have in going there, the more impressions he will receive.
● Find out what your child will be doing during the day. In addition to standard classes and matinees, the kindergarten may hold joint events with parents, theatrical performances, field trips, theme parties, birthdays, and much more.
● You should also clarify the availability and frequency of additional classes per month and the amount that you will need to pay for these services monthly.
6. Availability of feedback for parents
● Pay attention to whether the preschool institution has its own website with up-to-date information, and how feedback is provided to parents. Is there a group of parents in the messenger to receive quick and up-to-date information about the life of the group or kindergarten, urgent announcements, reports, and funny photos?
● The higher the level of trust in the kindergarten, the more transparent its life is for you and the more opportunities you have to observe what is happening there.
● Ask about the availability of CCTV cameras, the ability for parents to watch their child in real-time or view a recording of a particular part of the day.
In conclusion
We would like to draw attention to the financial component, which is not the least important when choosing a preschool institution. There are many state kindergartens with decent conditions, modern methods, and wonderful teachers.
You can also find private kindergartens with very high prices and a mediocre attitude to safety and the educational process. Compare your wishes and possibilities so that the kindergarten you choose corresponds to your ideas about the best place for your child.
When choosing a kindergarten, compare not the price of the kindergarten, but the values that a preschool institution can give to a child: the internal atmosphere, the environment, a harmonious space, teachers, the level of education - everything that is put into a capacious "sense of happiness" for your child.