When Choosing A Preschool Medford Oregon Families Should Follow These Tips

By Sally Delacruz


Choosing the right preschool for one's child is essential to his or her cognitive and social development so it's important that parents ensure the one they select provides a nurturing and enriching learning environment. The best way to evaluate what a school has to offer is to visit it in person. When it comes time to tour a preschool Medford Oregon families should be sure to look for the following key elements.

The school should have clean floors and toys and not have any unpleasant odors. Cleanliness is important, but messiness is to be expected as this is merely an indication that the children are thoroughly enjoying the many activities available to them. The children should have personal cubbies and washrooms equipped with child-sized washrooms, and also have easy access to snacks and all classroom materials at all times. The room should be organized into areas offering various activities like art, building, reading, water play and such.

Children learn through playing, both with each other and independently. The classroom should be filled with happy kids busily engaged in learning through doing and interacting with each other, or enjoying "circle time" with their teachers as they listen to a story and take part in sing-alongs. There should not be too much structure at this stage.

The preschool age group is normally made up of three to five year-olds, teachers need to be able to relate well to the students and ready to provide assistance with any problems including squabbles which inevitably happen between classmates. Focus should be on the unique personality of each child, and helping them to build on their strengths and overcome their obstacles.

The body language these teachers use also matters. Kneeling or crouching down to the child's level and making eye contact is an important way to establish a connection between the adult teachers and their preschool students. It helps to make them more approachable and conveys a message of caring. A teacher should be someone the child feels at ease with and can rely on for support and encouragement.

Artwork the children have made should be displayed about the classroom for everyone to see, as this enables the young artists to feel proud and also indicates that the school values freedom of creative expression. At this stage of development, a child should be encouraged to demonstrate whatever form of artistic expression comes naturally to him or her.

There should be a wide variety of interesting play materials available to stimulate creativity and exploration, all of which are in fairly good condition, safe, and suitable for this age group. Examples include a large selection of books, arts and crafts materials, dolls, cars, building materials, and play centers to encourage imaginary play such as a doctor's office, kitchen, and dress-up clothes.

While formal evaluation is generally not emphasized at the preschool level, ideally the teachers should keep track of each child's development and progress as it can help identify any delays. It's best if such issues can be recognized and addressed prior to when the child starts kindergarten, a good preschool will notice any areas the child struggles in, and help him or her overcome them as much as possible.




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