Checklist

Use this checklist when you visit schools to help you decide the best option for you and your child. It will help you assess each one, and provide an easy reference on many important points.

General

• Is there an abundance of age-appropriate children’s literature?
• Do teachers receive program training, support and ongoing training? What type?
• Do teachers use educational resources (i.e., curriculum guides, lesson planning tools, child-development resources)? Ask for examples.
• Is there a mix of teacher-initiated group activities and child-chosen individual activities?
• Is the program based on age-appropriate learning objectives?
• Do the children have daily outdoor play with access to age appropriate playground equipment?
• Does each child have her own record of growth and progress? Ask for examples.
• Are critical pre-writing and pre-reading skills practiced every day?

Things to Look For

• Are teachers asking open-ended questions and helping the children get excited about what they are learning.
• Are there suggested involvement activities for parents? How do you learn about these activities?
• Is the program based on age-appropriate development objectives?
• Is an activity and lesson plan posted and is the teacher following it?
• Are there daily and/or weekly progress reports sent to parents? Ask for examples.
• Is team building encouraged through group projects?