Touring preschools in the Bay Area can blur together quickly. Three schools in, the playgrounds look similar and every director says the right things. What separates a good fit from a good brochure is knowing what to look at while you are in the room.
Watch the children, not the facilities
New paint and bright displays are easy. Engaged children are not. Are they absorbed in what they are doing? Do they move around the room with confidence? Do they go to a teacher when they need something?
Listen to how teachers speak to children
Get close enough to hear a few exchanges. You are listening for teachers who kneel down to a child’s level, who ask questions rather than issue instructions, and who name feelings out loud. Tone tells you more than any curriculum document.
Ask about staff, not just ratios
Ratios matter, but so does turnover. Ask how long the lead teachers have been there. Young children attach to specific adults, and a classroom that changes staff every few months is harder on them than one extra child per teacher.
Questions worth asking on every tour
- What does a typical day look like from drop-off to pick-up?
- How do you handle a child who is having a hard morning?
- How much time do children spend outdoors?
- How will I hear about my child’s day?
- What happens when two children want the same toy?
Trust what you notice on the way out
After the tour, ask yourself one question: could you picture your child in that room tomorrow? Parents are usually right about this, and the feeling is worth paying attention to.
Before you go
Visit during active hours rather than nap time, bring your child if you can, and write your notes in the car before the next tour overwrites them.
We run tours at all three Precious Moments campuses, in San Jose, Sunnyvale and San Carlos. Come during a busy morning. We would rather you saw the real thing.
