students. These philosophies on education allow for different methods of teaching, discipline and of interaction with students. If you are concerned with which specific style your school is choosing, your director will easily be able to answer this for you. Ask what curriculum they follow and do your research from there. Some of the most common are Montessori, the Creative Curriculum, and Waldorf. All of these styles of teaching are designed to benefit the student through various methods and activities. Feel free to ask how lessons are chosen and how often they change. Above all, make sure play is at the center of every lesson. A preschool child, no matter what age, learns through play. Play is their work. What may look like playful silliness to the untrained eye should and will be a purposefully planned lesson for students. Learning your school’s teaching philosophy can help you as a parent to see past the silliness and understand the lesson being taught. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT Each classroom you visit will be different in how it’s set up, how it’s decorated and how it’s run. Visit the classrooms and ask yourself how it feels to be there. Are you happy? Are you stressed? Are you excited? Check for cleanliness of the floor, tables, play areas, and bathrooms. Preschool classrooms can get messy – twenty-four 4-year olds should be making a mess – but is it organized chaos? Or just chaos? Is it messy or dirty? Ask about sanitation practices and cleaning routines. Ask about bathroom visits and how those are dealt with (and depending on the age of your child, about potty training routines). Another telltale sign of a well-run classroom is to look at the art. Student art should “Look forward to taking your child to school every day knowing the happiness and love they’ll feel once they’re there.” Choosing a school for your child doesn’t have to be a daunting task. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 HAWAII PARENT 85
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