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It is not essential for children to attend a preschool institution every day to be ready for big school. Many children do well in their first year of school without ever attending preschool. What matters most is that the preschool experience helps your child gain an appreciation of what school is like and a positive attitude toward school.
There are many choices for preschool education – some are state funded but may request donation top ups, some are paid for entirely by parents and, from 1 July, 2007, your three or four-year-old child can receive up to 20 hours free early childhood education (ECE) if they are enrolled in a teacher-led ECE service offering free ECE.
Different types of preschool care/education available include:
- Home Based Care – where your child is cared for in another person's home
- Community Based Preschools - 'owned' & managed by a committeeof parents whose children attend / have attended the preschool
- Day Care, Preschoolor Creche - privately owned
- Kindergarten (most are publicly-run by Kindergarten associationshowever there are also privately-run kindergartens scattered throughout New Zealand).
- Playcentre (parent-run) - early childhood education
Tips on finding a preschool to suit you and your child:
Word of mouth - ask your friends and neighbours about preschools in your area and the experiences their children have had at them.
Transportation considerations should be factored into your decision. A child who has to spend an hour in the car or on a bus to get to a really great preschool might arrive too tired or unsettled to learn. For some children, going to school close to home can make it easy to continue friendships after school and on weekends. However, for those children who go to preschool near where their parents work, time spent in the car with their parents can be turned into quality time, and it's often easier for parents to be readily available in the event that they are needed.
Call prospective preschools in advance to learn about their programs, operating hours, payment policies, and other essentials. You will need to check if they have a waiting list for your preferred days/times or in the case of kindergarten, you will need to find out what age is currently being enrolled for afternoon sessions or morning sessions.
Visit It is important that you visit the school for at least a few hours before making a decision. Make sure to take your child with you on at least one occasion to assess how they fit into the environment. We think it's best if you pop in and visit rather than making an appointment – that way you will be able to see what the centre is really like. Be wary of those places who insist you make a time to visit.
During your visit Look for teachers who show a love of children and a dedication to their welfare. You should take note of how the teachers interact with the children. Look for helpers who gently guide and instruct them, answer their questions and foster their self-confidence.
Observe the size of the classes and the teacher-child ratio Do you believe your child's needs will be met by this equation? State funded Kindergartens have a teacher:child ratio of 1:15 while a preschool/daycare may have 1:6. Of course, the cost differs between the two .
Assess the discipline policies, ie. Time out Ask a teacher what happens during a time out. Doesthe child sit alone or with a teacher?
Check the ERO report The Education Review Office visits every preschool, creche, kindy and school at least every three years and the reports are available to the public. |
