Parenting Pick: How to Choose the Best Preschool

How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child by Jenifer Wana (Source Books, 2010)

Many parents have a difficult time choosing a preschool for their children. For one thing, it can be quite an adjustment for both child and parent to adjust to that first school experience. Secondly, there are often so many choices to choose from! Does a play-based, academic, Waldorf, Montessori, co-op, or Reggio Emilia option fit your family's and child's needs best? What should you look for in a program? What are the differences between program philosophies? How do you navigate through the admissions process? What's the right age to start preschool? How can your family pay for it? This is a step-by-step guide to learning more about your options and finding the best fit for you and your child.

Beginning Preschool

Although it's still summer, if your child is beginning preschool this fall, you might already be talking to him or her about the changes to expect. Anne Rockwell has been producing wonderful stories for preschoolers and elementary-aged children about everything from trucks and trains to holiday celebrations. Her latest book, My Preschool (Henry Holt, 2008), is another great addition to the canon of books helping children adjust to preschool.

For more suggestions on preschool readiness, see our library's school readiness web page. This page contains links to books and web resources for both preschool and elementary school readiness.

August Spotlight: Getting School Ready

From social skills to the ABCs...
Starting school can be an exciting, but often stressful, transition for a young child. Whether a child is heading off to preschool, child care, or kindergarten for the first time in September, parents want to know that their child is ready for this big transition and off to a good start.

Parents are a child's first and most important teacher. Preparation for success in school begins at birth - by talking, playing, singing, and reading with your child. Through healthy and predictable daily routines, caring adults, and an early literacy-rich environment, children can build the skills they need to become successful readers and learners for life.

This month, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's Youth Services Department is spotlighting resources to help parents and children transition into preschool and kindergarten. Our Birth to Six website provides links to local and national organizations dedicated to helping prepare children for success in school. In addition to articles covering such topics as how to select a preschool and activities to help reinforce skills needed in kindergarten, the Birth to Six website focuses on library materials to share with your child to ease anxieties and build excitement for that very special first day!

For more information, visit www.thebestlibrary.net/corvallis/birthtosix/ or contact your library and youth services librarians.