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Sending your child to preschool is quite an emotional decision. After all, it is the first time that the child will take those independent steps. That you will feel as if your heart is walking outside your body is a given! All the more reason that the choice of a preschool is made with utmost care. If you are moving cities, odds are that you are worried about being able to make the right choice of preschool. Here is a handy guide that will make the process easier and keep you stress-free.

1. Legacy

First things first. When it comes to a play school, you sure want to know the founding team and their motivation. After all, their vision is likely to drive the school, its pedagogy, and more. The founding team, their vision, the teachers involved, and the kind of training they have definitely needed to be your first port of call. It will also be a worthwhile exercise to see if the school has a pan India presence and the kind of parent testimonials it has. In fact, the experiences of other parents could tell you a lot about the preschool.

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2. Curriculum

It follows from the above point that the pedagogy and curriculum need to play an important role in the choice of school. After all, a preschool is meant for the holistic development of the child, including but not limited to socialization skills, developing motor skills, language skills, life skills, and a lot more. A scientifically developed curriculum goes a long way in ensuring the child’s development. A preschool would have done its task if it could create curious learners. Once little ones fall in love with learning, it is a given that they will make the most of their formal school journey.

At Footprints, we follow the scientifically developed High Scope Curriculum that has four decades of research behind it and is known to advance the development of children and improve their chances of living a better life through adulthood. It is based on active participatory learning and believes in offering choices to the child while providing the necessary adult scaffolding.

3. Safety & Security

This is a non-negotiable aspect. When you send your child to a preschool, it is a given that you want children to be physically safe as well as mentally and emotionally secure. One of the things to look for in a play school is whether they offer you live CCTV footage. This can go a long way in securing the safety of the child and keeping your mind at peace.

Other aspects to look for in terms of safety are the security protocols the school follows, from dispersal norms to staff background checks and more. You also need to check whether the infrastructure they use is child-proof. This includes a wide range of things, from the use of toys and educational materials to the flooring used and more. Essentially, with child-friendly infrastructure, you can be sure that the risks of accidents are significantly minimized.

4. Adult: Child Ratio

Enough and more research has shown that the early years are extremely crucial in terms of the development of the child. It is important, therefore, that the child receives personalized attention. Looking for a healthy adult-to-child ratio is one of the important aspects of the choice of the right preschool.

5. Nutritious Food

Nutritious food goes a long way in ensuring the child’s health and well-being. It is important to go to a school with nutritious, well-balanced meals. In fact, the preschool menu should not have a space for junk food. That the food should be hygienically prepared is a given! With community eating, learning about not wasting food, and more, the child tends to develop a healthy relationship with food and sees meal times as an opportunity to bond with others

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To Sum Up

It is ironic that parents spend more time making the choice of a formal school than a preschool when it is the early years that can really lay a strong foundation for the child. Research has shown that as much as 90 percent of brain development happens by the time the child is five years of age. It is important that the experiences they receive in this period are nurturing and stimulate their overall development. In making the choice of the right preschool, parents, therefore, can gift the child a strong foundation for life.

Pro-tip- Make it a point to visit the preschool and interact with their team to understand their vision and motivation! It will help you know if their approach towards education is in line with your parenting philosophy. Speaking to other parents can also be an important part of the process. It is also fairly important that the right preschool isn’t too far away from your residence in the new city that you are moving to. After all, you do not want the child to spend long hours commuting and be tired and depleted when they reach school!

Here’s to your child’s overall growth & development.