Studies have shown that the quality of early childhood education is a key factor in both the early and later development of a child. For many parents, this means being a lot keener when choosing where their children will be attending school in their early years.

Despite having the best of intentions, many parents don't really understand how to assess the reputation of a preschool and whether or not it'll be a good fit for a child. How can you do a proper assessment of a school?

Find Out What Other Parents Have to Say About It

This is the simplest way to find out what a school is all about. Many parents are heavily involved when it comes to the education of their children at a young age. Therefore, they'll go to great lengths to find out the conditions in which their children are learning, how they're being taught, who is teaching them, and so on.

You can find out a lot about the school by talking to parents who currently have or previously had their children in a particular school. However, you should also be aware that parents may have a bias if their child is in a particular school. If you know of a parent who moved their child to another school, they can give you a different perspective.

How Do Former Students Perform After Graduation?

It can take a few years to understand the quality of learning provided in a given school. Therefore, a good way of figuring out if a particular school lives up to the hype is to find out how well their former students perform.

Your assessment shouldn't be restricted to educational accomplishments. You should also assess how well their students perform in extracurricular activities and how they interact with their peers and other people in their lives.

What Is the Overall Success Rate of Their Philosophy?

Early childhood learning centers usually have specific philosophies that guide what and how they teach their students. You'll find institutions that put more emphasis on subjects such as arithmetic and language, institutions that will prioritize the social development of the children, and everything in between.

It can be difficult to choose from all the available options. However, because these philosophies have been there for decades, there has been enough time to analyze their impact on children's growth and their performance later in life. Therefore, you can find out if a particular philosophy actually makes the kind of difference you expect.  

Contact preschools in your area to find out more about how they are run.