Choosing the pre school that’s right for your child can be a nerve-wracking affair, especially when it’s your first time. This decision is intensely personal and may even differ for each child in your family. Some steps you can take to ease the process are:

1. List your priorities: What do you care about most? Location of the school, hours offered, cost, a specific preschool curriculum such as Montessori, or Waldorf? Affiliation with a religious institution? My husband and I cared most about finding a place that indulged my almost-3 year old’s experimental nature. I wanted my child to learn good manners and concern for his peers. I also hoped for a school where learning through music and art were important.
2. Consider your child’s personality – an outgoing personality would probably thrive in a large group whereas a shy child might prefer a smaller, contained environment such as a home-based school. In our case, I noticed that my very chatty son became quiet and uncomfortable in bigger groups of children.
3. Short-list schools in your area – going online is easiest but asking like-minded friends works very well too. Try the school finder at Schools' N More for starters.
4. Schedule a visit with each school in your list and be prepared with your questions. Some areas that you can focus your questions on:
   1. Daily routine that the children follow
   2. School’s attitude towards discipline and steps taken to resolve conflicts in the classroom
   3. Nature of classroom projects
   4. Amount of time spent outdoors daily, playground facilities
   5. Teacher student ratios
5. Keep your eyes and ears (and even your sense of smell!) open during your visit. Take note of the classroom environment, cleanliness, whether it is spacious enough, toilet and diaper changing facilities, nap area if any. Do the children look happy to be here?
6. Pay special attention to the teacher – can you form a rapport with her? The parent-teacher connection is very important and you should feel comfortable at the thought of handing your child over to this person for several hours a day. The teacher can also give you rare insights into your child’s development. The first time I met my son’s teacher, we talked about building a foundation for responsible, caring members of society, the importance of a well-organized, neat environment for children, and the impact of surrounding a child with beauty. I felt our personal philosophies on child rearing resonate very well with each other. Even if you don’t feel an instant connection, I believe it is important to experience a liking and mutual respect for each other.
7. Ask for at least 2 references of parents whose children currently attend the school. Ask the parents what they like about the school and what improvements they would like to see. If you have any specific concerns that you didn’t like to ask about during your school visit, go ahead and ask the parents. You have a good chance of receiving honest answers.
8. Finally, look for your child’s reactions. Can’t wait to run out the room or found something interesting? Of course, a young child’s first reactions may not be completely reliable, but even after you’ve made your selection, watch and listen to your child for cues on whether the decision was the right one. After all, nothing’s irreversible and there truly are some wonderful preschools out there that will help you make your child’s wonder years as wonderful as he or she deserves them to be!

For more on the US and Indian education systems, visit our US Schools Guide and Moving to India pages, respectively. Visit Schools 'N More for more articles on education, parenting, kids' activities and online learning resources.