We went to a preschool fair tonight and quite possibly the most useful part was meeting some moms from the local MOMS club. I have a feeling they can hook me up with as much information as the 14 official preschool recruiters.
How did you choose the preschool for your child? My ideal place would be Catholic or at least Protestant, cost under $150 or provide scholarships, have lots of time outdoors, do things I can't easily mimic at home, have afternoon-only sessions, and have a mixed age setting. The two closest Catholic schools have preschools that have a Christian but not Catholic focus, so the Catholic part is probably not going to happen, although a Catholic school's Christian preschool definitely isn't going to teach any doctrine we disagree with, which isn't quite so clear at a Protestant preschool. There are two preschools in the Twin Cities I've heard lots of really good things about -- http://www.childrensfarm.org/index.html and http://www.dodgenaturecenter.org/preschool.asp where the focus is the outdoors, no matter what the weather. I think a place like that would be a good bridge from being at home all the time to being at school. I don't think four year olds should have to sit in a circle or be stuck in the same room all day. Or half a day, three days a week. I'd like something where there's more exploring play and learning in a way I can't teach. But both those preschools are a 40 minute drive and I'm not willing to do that. The couple women I spoke to didn't know anything similar in my part of town, although it might exist. They did suggest a couple Montessori schools nearby and I think I ought to visit and see what they're like, but why do Montessori programs cost twice as much as most others? Is it worth it? There's a home-based preschool that meets 9:15-1 and serves lunch. I like the fact that it's more than 2.5 hours but not full-day. She also accepts kids 2.5 and older so we could send both boys in the fall if we wanted to. But that doesn't really pass the "can I do this at home" test. We'll probably be sending Peter to full-day Catholic kindergarten the following fall. If I can't find someplace I love, I don't feel like preschool is all that necessary and I'd save my money instead. Although I think he could use a transition to group-setting learning (unless I decide that I want to homeschool after all).
How did you decide where to send your child to preschool? What stuck out for you? Is Montessori twice as good as the rest?
