7 Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Carmel Valley Preschool

If you’re thinking about sending your child to a Carmel Valley preschool, then it is clear you want to give your little one every opportunity to meet their best developmental potential. The scientific literature is mixed on how much preschool gives a child an advantage in their education because of so many variables.

However, the fact is that your child’s learning potential needs to be stimulated from a young age so as to develop mentally, emotionally, and even physically. It’s thought that as much as 50 percent of the brain’s capacity to learn is already developed by 3 years of age. It stands to reason that starting your child’s education early will make a big difference.

In this article, we’ll talk you through 7 factors to consider before choosing a Carmel Valley preschool. Keeping these factors in mind will enable your child to reap the rewards of a golden period of learning in their early life.

1. School License

Make sure you do your homework on the school’s license and track history. Most states have requirements about licensing so you can check those standards are being met. It is not enough to have a license, you want to make sure that the school has performed well in previous inspections and has a culture of continual improvement.

Find the school online and use the State resources website to check details about previous inspections and the results. This is a great place to start your search because it may allow you to cross off some of your list and focus your efforts in a more productive way.

2. School Schedule

As a busy parent, you need freedom and flexibility when forming your child’s education as well as meeting the needs of the wider family and even professional obligations. Research how flexible the school is in making a schedule.

Will education and care be full-time, is it only part-time, or are there options for both depending on the time of year and other seasonal variables? Only you know what your commitments are and how you can balance all of that, but you definitely want a school that adapts with you otherwise it will become more of a burden than a help.

3. Atmosphere and Culture

It is scary to think your little one is going off into the world for the first time without you. That means you will trust other people, to some degree, with helping to instill moral values and influence your child’s attitude towards others. In short, your preschool in Carmel Valley must reflect your values. 

Some of those values come from your religious background and others from your formal education. So it is wise to carefully choose schools that align with your expectations.

4. Health and Safety Policy

This sounds obvious but sadly it could be overlooked. Of course, the school will have a policy but you’re wise to ask practical questions. Are all the staff trained in CPR?

Is the school clean and well maintained? Does the school operate a handwashing policy? What are the requirements for immunizations? 

What policies are in place for visitors to the school? What is access to the building like?

Are there proper security measures to protect the children from strangers coming into the school? The speed and ease of getting answers to these questions will be a measure of how professional the school is. 

5. Staff Qualifications

Go to the school website and read about the qualifications of the teachers, carers, and associated staff. Do they have specific qualifications for looking after young children?

Do some of the staff have an educational background in early development, education, and childcare? As you read through the staff profiles you should feel reassured that the staff are well qualified, experienced, and offer a balance of skills needed for this kind of educational setting.

6. Curriculum Design 

Preschool offers considerable flexibility in the design and development of the curriculum when compared with standard schools and traditional school entry ages. That is a good thing in some ways but it also means that you need to do your work first to make sure the educational approach of the school meets with your approval.

For example, what is the difference between STEAM and STEM learning methodologies? Do you want a preschool that focuses on critical thinking and problem solving or do you want a wider education to include the arts? Whatever your philosophy is, you need to check out the school’s curriculum.

7. Communication Channels

How will the school communicate with you? Will they want to meet with you regularly to talk person to person? If you wish to talk with your child’s teacher, how accessible are they?

Does the school employ any online tools and metrics to help measure your child’s progress and achievement of goals? In short, is the school skilled in communicating with you using media that is user-friendly and matches your needs?

Perfect Carmel Valley Preschool

In this article, you’ve read about 7 factors to consider when choosing a Carmel Valley preschool. It’s a big decision and one worthy of time and careful consideration. As you begin your research and assessment, keep this article as a handy reference and you’ll find that you’re able to skillfully narrow down your options.

Providing a springboard for excellence, development, and growth is what we specialize in doing. If you have questions or simply want to talk, please get in touch here as we would love to hear from you.