Guide to Stand-Out Preschool Programs 

 

Are you ready to take your preschool program to new heights? Check out the following guide to high-quality preschool programs, including five key qualities every worthy preschool program should exhibit. Use this guide to help you ascertain whether your preschool program is the best option available for families in your area. 

The five essential qualities of excellent preschool programs we discuss below help to build a solid foundation of care for preschool-aged children by meeting needs across all areas of child development: physical, social/emotional, cognitive, and language. 

Many of the qualities of stand-out infant and toddler programs also apply to preschool programs, including adherence to health and safety standards, small group sizes and optimal adult-to-child ratios, educated, trained, background-checked, and passionate staff members, age-appropriate childcare setting, and respect for family/family background. You can read more about these qualities here. (Link to article, “Guide to High-Quality Infant and Toddler Programs”) 

In addition, preschool programs should demonstrate excellence in the following areas in order to best meet the unique needs of this age group. 

Program provides opportunities for children to have wholesome and safe interactions with adults and other children. 

Young children, and particularly children in the preschool age group, need opportunities to have meaningful interactions with caring adults, as well as opportunities to socialize with other children their age. Competent preschool teachers will help facilitate positive interactions with adults and among children in the program. The preschool program should be structured in such a way as to give children the chance to have safe and healthy interactions, take turns, ask questions, and share ideas. 

Program provides a warm and nurturing environment. 

Preschool is often a child’s first experience away from home and their parent or guardian’s loving care. As such, preschool programs should be warm and inviting, providing a safe, loving, and wholesome environment where children can learn, explore, grow, play, bond with caregivers and other children, and ultimately thrive. Every teacher and staff member should offer guidance and support that is sensitive to the unique needs, temperament, and interests of each child. 

Program places a high priority on kindergarten-readiness and future learning. 

The preschool years are the ultimate preparatory period for kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond, and thus high-quality preschool programs will be oriented toward kindergarten-readiness. Children should be given opportunities to learn the language of school, including how to listen, follow directions, respond to teacher questions, and initiate problem solving in a context that is appropriate for their age and stage of development. In addition, preschool programming should emphasize language, early literacy, math, and science concepts with daily activities that include book reading, writing, use of expanded vocabulary, alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, measurements and spatial relationships, and exploration of the world around them and how it works. 

Program features an age-appropriate curriculum, materials, and opportunities for “active learning.”

Top-quality preschools will offer curriculum and supportive materials designed to cultivate natural curiosity in young children as a powerful motivator for learning. Daily routines should strike a balance between active and quiet time, indoor and outdoor time, short activities and longer ones, guidance from adults and autonomy of children, meaningful interactions with teachers and positive interactions with peers. Programs should prioritize “active” or “hands-on” learning through play, arts and crafts, music, dance, story time, and exploration of the natural world. 

Program provides quality facilities that enhance the childcare setting. 

The preschool environment encompasses all aspects of the childcare space, including its safety and security, natural light, and the extent to which spaces are suitable for indoor and outdoor play, rest, eating, learning, and everything in between. Preschoolers should inhabit care settings that are designed for their security, comfort, development, and enrichment. 

We hope this guide proves helpful as you evaluate your own preschool program’s strengths and weaknesses so you can provide stand-out preschool education for families in your community. 

Honest Buck Accounting offers a variety of professional accounting services especially designed to meet the needs of childcare businesses like yours. Reach out to our team of experts to schedule a free consultation. Contact us today.