A preschool is an educational organisation that specializes in early childhood education. They can be privately or publicly owned and operated. Also known as a play-school or nursery school, these institutions are meant for children between the ages of three and five. The idea with a child attending a preschool is to get them familiarized with a structured learning environment.
Pre-Schools help in the development of language, communication, social, creative, emotional, math and motor skills of a very young child which helps them easily adjust to a primary school environment. Children begin to develop a sense of self and to take care of themselves. It is, therefore, apparent that preschools are very crucial to children and establish the foundation for the rest of their student life. The stronger the foundation, the more effortless it would be for a child to excel at academics and extra-curricular activities throughout. Although not mandatory schooling, parents have adopted the idea of preschool as a rite of passage due to the several developmental benefits learning in a preschool environment provides.
In big cities, like Bangalore, every school promises the best for your child. It can get both confusing and deceptive at times. We have compiled a list of areas that parents should look into before deciding which is the best preschool in Bangalore for their child.
1. Safety and security: With students who are barely aware of themselves, parents need to ensure that a preschool has highly effective security protocols in place. Children between the age of 3 and 5 are too young to entirely differentiate right from wrong. Therefore, a preschool must have a strict set of protocols. Facilities like CCTV coverage, background checks on staff, fire safety procedures need to be checked. Learn about emergency situations that are handled at the school. Safety also needs to be ensured in the way classrooms are set up and safe access to other spaces within the building.
2. Location: It is not wise to choose a preschool very far from your home unless absolutely necessary. With young children, familiar areas will be more encouraging for them to travel to. Research a location from a security point of view as well before choosing the preschool.
3. Environment and structure of the preschool: A safe and healthy environment will ensure that a child gets to learn and have fun at the preschool. Observe how the teachers are communicating with the students. Learn about how the faculty handles tough situations to ensure that children do not face any amount of distress. Also, a point to note is how a preschool is set up. The layout of classrooms, the type and size of the furniture, range of toys and blocks that the children play with, and how safe they are, also are areas of judgement. Some of the best preschools in Sarjapur Road offer a great learning environment for children.
4. The educational philosophy of the preschool: Research into the model of curriculum that the preschool employs. A good curriculum needs to ensure the educational and holistic growth of a child. Does the curriculum also include activities that will help in the growth of social and motor skills and concepts of team-work? Different curriculum approaches can contribute to different developmental structures. Find one that you think will best suit your child.
5. Faculty: Find answers to questions like how trained are the teachers who would be taking care of your child? Does the school conduct complete verification of the staff? In addition to what is being taught to the children, it is important to note who is teaching the children? Visit the preschool to observe a class for more clarity.
6. The ratio of children to teachers: Children between the ages of 3 and 6 are restless, curious, are prone to tantrums and can sometimes be hard to handle. A good preschool should have enough teachers so that no kid is left attended. Over burned teachers will find it hard to impart individual attention to all students and may miss out on kids who need a little extra help.
7. How much does the school involve the parents: The information and practices a child learns at a preschool need to be validated by their parents by usage in everyday life. A new word, a new social custom that a child learns needs to be implemented in life outside school for the child to fully grasp the concept. Therefore, check what are the preschool policies on involving the parents? Will they be providing you with monthly progress reports? Will they inform you about any new development? With the children being very small, the preschool needs to maintain strong communication practices with the parents.
8. Reviews from other parents: No one will give a better review than parents of children who are already students of a preschool. Find information from the point of view of a parent, which will provide you with a different perspective to consider.
Choose the best preschool in Bangalore for your child after analysing all factors that will contribute to a comfortable learning environment for your child. Do adequate research and trust your instincts and make an informed choice on what is best for your child.
