Tips for Choosing a Preschool

Alamo City Moms Blog is happily partnering with Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool® to share information about early childhood education. This is a sponsored post.

Potty training. Feeding journeys. Mobility and first steps. First words (and then so. many. words!). Personality expression. The first five years of a child’s life bring continuous firsts, a few bittersweet lasts, and constant learning and adjusting for parents and children.

Early childhood education, education that children receive before age five, can play a key role in fostering their development and preparing them for future academic success. In their first five years, kids are rapidly developing cognitively, emotionally, and socially. A preschool program can be a great partner to a family as they work together to nurture a growing child.

If you are considering preschool for your child, here are some things to look for as you evaluate programs:

Hands-on Learning

Young children explore much of their world with the senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Look for an early childhood program that allows ample time for children to learn though play, touch, experimentation, and observation.

Qualified Teachers and a Defined Curriculum

Your child’s teacher is stepping into a key role in your family’s life. Seek out a program with well-trained teachers who understand how to nurture young learners. Look for teachers that stimulate a love of learning. Additionally, understand the curriculum and lesson plans teachers will be using. Little Sunshine Playhouse & Preschool uses Creatively Shine™, an exclusive curriculum based on Reggio Emilia philosophies. They focus on teaching children lessons, manners, and social skills through creative and pre-planned play, knowing that if children enjoy learning at a young age it will carry with them throughout their lives.

Balance of Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development

Children develop dramatically during their early years. A positive preschool experience, in which learning occurs organically, helps your child’s cognitive development thrive. A preschooler benefits from a place to express emotions outside of his/her family. Children also learn from their peers, creating the basis for understanding social interactions as they learn and observe through play.

Open Lines of Communication Between Parents and Staff

Look for a preschool that truly involves parents in their child’s school experience. Parental involvement should be welcomed and encouraged. For example, at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool, parents receive daily emails, known as Luvnotes™, that summarize their child’s activities each day and include pictures or videos. KiddieCams™ provide parents with viewing access to any location in the school, from monitors placed within the building.

Choosing a preschool is an important process and choice for families. Ask questions, trust your instinct, and thoughtfully make a choice. In San Antonio, Little Sunshine is currently open in the Dominion area and will soon open a second location in Stone Oak. Both locations are currently enrolling!

Little Sunshine Dominion (21822 Stonewall Pkwy., San Antonio, TX 78256 | (210) 698-3333)

Little Sunshine Stone Oak (20515 Stone Oak Pkwy., San Antonio, TX 78258 | (210) 698-3333)

Little Sunshine Stone Oak
Michelle
Michelle moved to San Antonio eight years ago and yet still feels like a newcomer. She is rather smitten with the Alamo City. She and her husband met at Texas A&M and started their marriage in Minnesota. After six years of very cold winters, they returned to Texas. Michelle has two kids (12 and 9), along with a very quirky rescue dog and two rather cute guinea pigs. A former corporate food scientist turned part-time yoga instructor, she still takes her food very seriously—she just doesn’t get paid for it anymore. She is fueled by tea, cold brew coffee, yoga, dog walking, books and quickly googling answers to her kids eleventy million questions.

1 COMMENT

  1. I need to find a preschool for my son so that he can prepare to go to kindergarten next year by working with other kids and learning how to make friends. You make a great point that you should choose a preschool that gives a lot of time for children to experiment and play because this will give my son a lot of freedom to be creative. Also, it makes sense that you should look for a school that has a defined curriculum and qualified teachers because this will give me peace of mind that my son is getting the best education.

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