Choosing a preschool

By Melissa D. Hall
Daily News Correspondent

My son has the world’s best baby sitter. She is cheerful, friendly and oh, so flexible. She feeds him well and reads to him. She dances to Christina Aguilera with him. She takes him outside to play in her big back yard, and watching kids’ videosis a rare treat rather than a crutch. When it comes to a learning, nurturing environment, what more could a mother ask for?

It depends upon your perspective, says Martha Anderson, child and adult care program manager for the municipality of Anchorage. As children age, their needs change. What seemed like

a perfectly well-suited environment for a 1-year-old may not challenge a 3-year-

old. So, says, Anderson,  it is important to constantly reassess your child’s needs as he grows so that he can reach his full potential.

"The process of learning, questioning and wondering happens at such a young age," Anderson says. "What your child is exposed to right now is what creates a child who can learn."

So, while my son’s learning environment may be perfect for him right now, at age 2, there may come a time that he’ll need to move on to another challenge. It’s a hard choice for parents, says Anderson, especially when their child has grown attached to his caregiver. But in the long run, she says, it’s the best for the children.

Most children are ready for a more regimented, preschool-like setting by age 3. This is not to say that such an environment can’t come from a private child care provider, Anderson stresses. In fact, she says, the in-home or licensed day care provider often has more regulations and smaller child-to-adult ratios that allow the caregiver to devote more attention to each child.

"People think that the word ‘preschool’ sounds so wonderful, and it can be," Anderson says. "But it really isn’t always better."

The best thing to do, Anderson says, is to start with your child.

"You can pick up a lot from children and what they say," says Anderson. "They may not be fully verbal, but you can take cues from the little things they tell you."

Terri Wangstrom, director of education at Anchorage Montessori School, says that’s what the Montessori concept is all about – observing children’s learning potential and fostering their ability to grow intellectually and socially.

"We concentrate on three main things at this age," she says of preschoolers. "Fine and gross-motor development, language development and practical, self-help skills."

At the toddler age, children are rapidly taking in what’s around them, so choosing a preschool or learning center that encourages exploration is important. At Anchorage Montessori, for example, the shelves are covered with a wealth of objects that the children can pick up and play with whenever they want – glass, pint-sized pitchers filled with sand; bowls of glass beads with a small scoop; trays covered with an assortment of odd-shaped beads; cups and a small pitchers filled with water – each teacher decides what to put out depending upon the children who are in the class.

"We call this a prepared environment," Wangstrom says. "We have a foundation in observation skills, and what we’re doing is observing the children and watching."

For example, if a child discovers the pitcher of sand and pours it back and forth, back and forth between two containers, the teachers recognize this as a moment of discovery. The child is developing a new skill, Wangstrom says.

"That’s something we want to capture," Wangstrom says. "We’d never want to interrupt a child who is doing that."

This is the kind of nurturing, attentive environment parents want to seek out for their children, Anderson says, whether it be in a Montessori school, a preschool, a licensed child care provider or the child’s granny.

A great place to start your search, Anderson says, is by visiting the learning centers that are already full. It may seem like a waste of time if there are no open spaces available, but it is the No. 1 way to compare programs, she says.

"Then you’ll have a better idea of whether the ones that still have spaces available are good," Anderson says. "Just because a center isn’t full doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place."

Wangstrom suggests observing the way the staff respond to the children. Do they respect the children? Do they speak kindly to them? Do they seem happy to be at their job?

"Modeling is also a very important part of what we do here," she says. "We try to show grace and have courtesy."

Also, Wangstrom says, note how you as a parent feel when you enter the learning center.

"Ask yourself, ‘How was I greeted? Do I feel comfortable coming to the school?’ "

And finally, says Anderson, take your time with the decision. Some children spend as much as 10 hours a day in the care of others, so the program in which they’re enrolled will have a major impact on their young lives.

Once your search is narrowed down to a few finalists, stop by Anderson’s office, at Suite 317 at the Department of Health and Human Services at Ninth Avenue and L Street. There, you will find a Parent Resource Room with binders that list the names and address of facilities that have a municipal license or permit to operate a child care facility (this excludes in-home providers).

Each binder details licensing information, complaints and inspection reports of the centers. There’s even a play area to keep your little one occupied while you browse through the books.

"Come in and look at the notebooks," Anderson says. "It is such a great resource and not that many people seem to know about it."

©2000 Anchorage Daily News