Family Focus

Preschool
Options

Finding the right one for you and your child.

Ronelle Grier

Special to the Jewish News

I

f you're thinking about sending
your child to preschool for the
first time, you may find your-
self overwhelmed by the vast array
of options available. Choices and
decisions abound: Jewish or secular?
Public or private? Synagogue-based
or independent?

Making The Choice
Start your research early so you have
enough time to explore a variety of
possibilities before school starts at
summer's end. Decide whether your
child would do best in a busy, active
place or a smaller environment with
fewer kids and a larger teacher-stu-
dent ratio. Take the school's educa-
tional philosophy into account. Some
parents prefer a more play-based
program, while others want their
children to get an early start on academic
pursuits. Focus on those schools that
meet your practical considerations, such
as proximity to your home or workplace,
hours of operation, fees and whether or
not the children must be toilet trained.
Once you've narrowed your choices,
make arrangements to visit each school.
You may want to make your initial trip
alone and then bring your child along for
a follow-up visit to those schools you're
considering seriously.
West Bloomfield psychologist Dr. Ira
Glovinsky urges parents who are visiting
a preschool to be on the lookout for happy
children.
"Teachers and other staff members
should be interacting with the kids',' he
said. "There should be a feeling of emo-
tional warmth, teachers who literally get
down on the kids' level and can communi-
cate clearly without having to use a lot of
words. The environment should be struc-
tured without being too rigid."
He encourages parents to ask questions:
• What kind of experience do the teach-

ers and staff members have? What
are the criteria for hiring teachers
and other caregivers?
• How long has the director been
there, and what did he/she do before?
• What experience does the staff have
with atypical behavior, such as ADHD or
other learning or emotional challenges?
• How often does communication
between school and home occur? What is
the procedure if a problem should arise?
•What kind of parental involvement is
expected? Are parents allowed to visit the
classroom? Is family programming part of
the curriculum?
• Choose a hypothetical situation and
ask how it would be handled. For example,
what would happen if Sarah doesn't sit
quietly during story time? What if Michael
wets his pants or refuses to eat his lunch?
"When choosing a school for a young
child, look for an environment that engag-
es children in learning in active, exciting
ways and helps them feel enthusiastic and
positive about mastering new skills and
ideas," said Diane Levin, Ph.D., author
of the book Remote Control Childhood.

Upper left: Making music at the Jewish Community

"Children should be
able to separate com-
fortably
from their par-
Upper right: Sophia Bernzeig, 3, of Huntington
ents
over
an extended
Woods, learns how to buy and sell her produce
period
of
time
without
at Gan Shalom Parenting Center/Preschool at
anxiety
or
fatigue,"
Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park.
Glovinsky said. "They
should have an interest in
peer interactions and show some
ability to regulate their behavior, to
"Schools
follow directions and comply with a rou-
should treat chil-
tine. A child should also be able to show a
dren as whole people."
good range of emotions and express his or
"The goal of a good preschool should
her feelings with words."
be to get the child ready for kindergarten,"
Jacobs believes that children should
said Dr. Paul Jacobs, a psychologist with
exhibit readiness for preschool on three
a private practice in Bingham Farms.
levels: social, emotional and physical.
"Parents should look carefully at the cur-
riculum and the structure of the program.
Adapting Before Readiness
Make sure that the teachers are able to
deal with your child's strengths and weak- If both parents work outside the home,
preschool may be a necessity rather than
nesses."
an option. Glovinsky suggests some ways
to make the transition easier for the child
Preschool Readiness
who may not be optimally ready.
Children ready to attend preschool are
"Try to find an environment where
more likely to be successful than those
who are not, but how do you know if your
child is ready?
Preschool Options on page A72

Center's Pitt Childhood Development Center

May 21 . 2009

A71