5 Key Elements in Picking a High-Quality Preschool

Picking a high-quality preschool can be challenging for parents. MomLifeTV is with Linda Ensko of Buckle My Shoe in New York City, and we’re talking about preschool. Linda tells us the 5 key elements to look at when accessing a preschool for their child.

5 Keys To Picking a Very High Qualitative Preschool:

1. The Educators:

Educators need to be highly trained and skilled, and professionals in their field. They should have ongoing training, cross mentoring, as well as teamwork and collaboration – sharing what they learn with teachers, parents and children.

2. The Environment:

The environment is what Reggio Emilia calls the third teacher. It needs to be very warm, very cosy, very homey. It needs to be stimulating. A teacher that is well trained will set up an environment with provocations and natural materials, to get the child eager to explore and discover.

3. Kindergarden Readiness:

Prepare children to be great citizens of the world: To be kind, to have empathy, to know who they are through their work, their accomplishments. To know how to communicate and collaborate. And of course to have the skill set.

4. The Value of Early Exposure:

Put your child in a social setting with trained educators that are able to really see if there are learning differences. And see what the strengths of your child are.

5. Individualized Instruction:

Individual portfolios are created for each and every child. It’s the window into how a child learns. The teachers work with the child to do a lot of self concepts, which builds a child’s self identity. It’s a form of himself that he’s so proud of. Documented from September to June, it’s amazing the skill set  the child develops from the beginning to the end of the year.

These are great takeaways for moms to really look at and access not only a preschool, but a child’s development as well.

Buckle My Shoe is a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool in New York City, offering an invaluable educational, social, creative, and physical early childhood development program. It’s about celebrating the whole child. To learn more, visit: bucklemyshoe.org