Ah, spring. So many things to look forward to: tulips, playgrounds and … preschool applications?
It’s already been 6 weeks since the groundhog saw his shadow and it’s time to start making plans for this fall. We know looking for a preschool program that will work for you and your family can be a stressful. What does a good preschool classroom look like? What should you look for in a preschool teacher?
Children’s learning and development revolve around relationships with adults, and the teacher-child relationship should be a special one. It surely is an important one. Great teachers are warm and nurturing, and they guide children rather than punishing them. Rather than telling children what not to do, a teacher should engage in play-based learning, to help children learn how to think on their own, make decisions on their own, and learn that a mistake can always be fixed. They find fun opportunities to nudge learning, like singing songs that teach about rhymes, or helping children count the number of legs when they find an insect. Great teachers are curious about each child’s unique personality and needs, and they believe every child has potential.
Great teaching is most visible when you see it in action, so it’s very helpful if you’re able to take a tour of our preschool classrooms during class time. You can learn a lot during a quick tour. Below is an example of what you would look for in a preschool program.
What Our Preschool Program Looks Like
- Speaking to children: teachers bend down to their student’s eye level, using their names, and talking in a warm, encouraging way.
- Daily routine: children will know what to expect and what is expected of them. They have a consistent daily schedule. Teachers use consistent guidance — for example, about how to treat others or how to cope with transitions.
- Teacher’s approach to conflict: giving children the opportunity to think of a solution on their own and then offering strategies for managing social challenges and explaining why they are important.
- Children should be active and happy, and have choices of activities and plenty of time to play outside.
- Creativity: Children participate in arts and crafts to expand their creative imagination.
Preschool should be all about exploration and learning new things — for parents, too!
Great preschools can look different and, as we often tell our children, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” While the outside of each of our facilities may look different from one another, in each preschool classroom, you’ll find warm and loving teachers and bright, engaging classrooms where children are busy and happy. We have preschool classrooms at each of our facilities in Caldwell and Nampa, Idaho.
As you get ready to send your child off to school this Fall, find the program where your child will excel and flourish in the first year of their early education! Following preschool, Kangaroo Clubhouse also has summer, prekindergarten and private kindergarten programs to prepare your child for their elementary education in Caldwell and Nampa, Idaho.
Watch Together
Getting ready to send your child to preschool? This Daniel Tiger strategy song can help you talk about what to expect.
