Choosing a preschool for your preschooler may seem easy, right? I myself remember attending catholic school then public school. When I was younger I don’t think my parents put much thought into the philosophy of the school when choosing a school for me they went with what was available and fit into their lifestyle. But now there are some many more options for parents to consider that it can be overwhelming. Now when it is that time to move your little one into a preschool setting parents are faced with deciding which preschool philosophy will work for their child and family. That means considering the numerous types of philosophies that are employed when the school is planning their curriculum and activities. This is what will set the tone and the overall structure of the school. Being a parent you know your child best therefore you’ll want to choose the best preschool that matches your child’s needs.
When I became a parent I needed to do my research about what philosophies where available to our family and my son. A few philosophies that I came across and seem to be popular philosophies used in many preschools, are Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Language immersion, play-based, religious, and High/scope.
Montessori
The Montessori philosophy based on the work of Maria Montessori, an Italian educator who founded the approach in the early 1900’s. The philosophy is formulated on the idea that children learn by doing and the teachers are just there to guide them. The approach fosters personal responsibility in the child since they are taking care of their own needs and belongings, referred to as Practical Life. Children are encouraged to prepare their own snacks and clean after themselves instilling a sense of independence. Class rooms are designed not by age since ages groups vary in a Montessori setting. Which is another way to help develop leadership skills within the older students who act as role models for the younger students.
Reggio Emilia
The Reggio Emilia philosophy developed in Italy in the late 1900’s is another approach that focus its educating through observing the child’s interest and teaching through their interest. Educators guide students to experiment on projects of interest which teach them to learn from their own mistakes as the move through the creation of the project. Children are able to document their own work and verbalize what they have learnt through the process. This philosophy allows students to express their knowledge creatively and artistically.
Language Immersion
Is where the Childs preschool experience is immersed in a new language. Classes are conducted in the new language and the child interacts with teachers and students in the language. This method is appropriate for young children who are interested learning another language. This would be great for parents who speak one language and would like their children to be able to speak and learn second language.
Play-Based
Play-Based preschool philosophes draw from Montessori and Waldorf philosophies however are teaching children through play. Many of the activities are themed or unstructured play oriented. Some activities introduce more academic content to meet demands needed for children to enter school. I personally choose this method for my son prior to Montessori since I could tell he liked to learn through play. This method worked well for his active nature and even helped with potty training believe it not, read my post here.
Religious
Many churches or religious school offer programs for preschool and while they follow standard curriculum the incorporation of religious content is introduced. This is best for families who wish to have their children immersed in their faith as well as academically. I myself went to a catholic kindergarten when I was a child and even though I am not catholic I enjoyed that experience. My morning began with the class saying both the pledge of allegiance and a prayer. Another fond memory fo mine is getting my nail polish taken off by the nuns on Monday morning after the weekend. But I am sure that is not what the religious based philosophies intended for me to take away.
High/Scope
A philosophy started by Dr. David Weikart, in the seventies this philosophy puts less emphasis on social and emotional development and focuses on academic skills development. Children are encouraged to make indecent decisions about their materials and activities. Originally developed for at risk urban children, children who need one on one attention or special needs children. Learn more here.
When choosing a program for your child and family weigh all possibilites and beleive in what you think is best for you as parents. We ended up choosing a Montessori program for our preschooler this year when he was old enough to enter into a VPK program. Since the beginning of the year we have seen such a tremendous difference in him. One thing I did not want to do as a mom is hound my kids to do their home/school work and even though its been a few months my preschool will choose to sit and work quietly on his own without me having to asking a ton of times. Now if only I could get the same response when getting him dressed or brushing his teeth.
