How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child: The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Getting Into, and Preparing for Nursery School [Paperback]

Jenifer Wana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2010

"The most useful tool out there for families about to embark on the search for a preschool!"
-Helen Cohen, director, Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center, Boston

A must-have for parents of future preschoolers

Starting preschool is one of the biggest milestones in a child's life. With this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, you won't have to navigate the preschool process alone. Whether the nursery schools nearby enroll every child, or they're so competitive that they only accept a few applicants, this book has everything you need to know to choose and get into the right preschool for your child. You'll learn:

• How to find high-quality preschools in your area
• Insight into popular preschool programs (Montessori, Waldorf, play based, cooperative)
• Key criteria to consider when choosing a preschool
• Strategies for paying for preschool (financial aid, tax benefits)
• How to help prepare your child for the first day of preschool
• Advice for gaining admission into competitive programs, including getting off the waiting list, submitting a strong application, and preparing for a child assessment

 

"This well-organized, comprehensive book will help parents navigate the world of preschool."
-Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum, authors of Practical Wisdom for Parents: Raising Self-Confident Children in the Preschool Years and directors of the 92nd Street Y Nursery School, New York

"A gift to every parent starting the preschool search."
-Irene Byrne, MA, author of Preschools by the Bay and executive director of the Phoebe Hearst Preschool, San Francisco

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Even before the pressure of finding the right kindergarten for a child rears its ugly head, there is—for many parents—the ordeal of finding the right preschool. Looking back on the frustrations of the process of getting her own child into preschool, Wana offers a helpful guide for other parents. She begins with a brief historical perspective on the rising prevalence of preschools and research showing that a strong educational program in preschool can launch a child’s school career. Wana outlines the array of programs, from private to public, part-time to extended care, and discusses accreditation status and the philosophical differences between play-based Montessori schools, project-based Reggio Emilia schools, and faith-based religious schools. She also advises parents on how to set selection criteria based on the child’s personality and family needs and circumstances. Wana offers practical advice on everything from researching and finding a school to the application process to—assuming the process is successful—preparing the child for the first day. A solid resource for parents of preschoolers. --Vanessa Bush

Review

"Wana offers practical advice on everything from researching and finding a school to the application process to-assuming the process is successful-preparing the child for the first day. A solid resource for parents of preschoolers." (Vanessa Bush Booklist 20100801)

"The subtitle of Jenifer Wana's preschool primer says it all: "The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Getting Into, and Preparing for Nursery School." Type A moms everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief because How To Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child (Sourcebooks, $14.99, 256 pages, ISBN 9781402242083) will save you loads of time navigating essays, interviews, applications and recommendation letters." (BookPage 20100801)

How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child: The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Getting Into, and Preparing for Nursery tells parents everything from criteria for choosing a preschool to preparing for admission interviews, as well as advice on applying to competitive preschools, including writing essays, soliciting recommendations and getting off the waiting list. (Mom Most Traveled 20100720)

"An invaluable resource for those that are entering the world of preschool" (Preschool Playbook 20100804)

"This is a wonderful resource for parents to help them start on this journey and process with their child." (Plus Size Mommy 20100805)

"Simple, sensible and sequential, the book is your one-stop shop for preschool time." (Mom Writes 20100810)

"I consider How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child the most comprehensive guidebook for parents looking to send their child to preschool." (Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest 20100813)

"This book is a great resource for any parent of a toddler getting ready to embark on the road to preschool." (Katie Talks About 20100816)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402242085
• ISBN-13: 978-1402242083
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book to get if you are choosing a preschool for your child July 17, 2010

By Casey

Format:Paperback

Since my daughter was born, I had been worrying about preschool. Sounds funny to say but I kept hearing that I should have started applying when my wife was pregnant and that's it's too late to get into the "best preschools" now. Are you kidding me?!?! Since then, I've been searching on the web and there are bits and pieces out there on the preschool process but I couldn't find one source that had everything. Thank heavens for this book. I just got it and I loved its message that we should send our daughter not to the "best" school but to one that is right for her and will allow her to blossom.

The 15 chapters can be divided into three parts:

1) The first contains a wealth of information on how to choose a preschool that is a "good fit" for your child. It includes a primer on the benefits of preschool and deciding when your child is ready and what the appropriate age is to enroll her, an admissions timeline, descriptions of the different preschool philosophies, a list of preschool criteria from teacher-student ratio to the transition policy at the beginning of the school year, and what is critical to observe on a school tour. The book even gives you a pretty comprehensive checklist of over 50 questions to consider asking schools. Some were obvious like is lunch included in the tuition, but there were other questions there that I would not have thought to ask (for example, if your kid is outgrowing her nap, does she still have to lie down on the mat for naptime or can she play quietly in the classroom?).

2) The second offers a behind-the-scenes look at the admissions process, including an explanation of the different procedures (waiting lists, open enrollment, regular "college" admissions, and lottery), advice for getting off waiting lists, and what preschool directors are looking for when they meet prospective families and children. There are also dedicated chapters to writing preschool application essays, complete with tips on answering common essay questions (I liked the sample essay), and to preparing for child and parent admission interviews. I never would have imagined it but there are some preschool applications that resembled the ones I filled out for college. I remember thinking, "An essay for preschool? Seriously?". While I didn't think this information would be necessary for us, we ended up applying to one uber-selective private school that required such things and this information definitely gave us a leg up.

3) The third provides helpful advice for preparing your child to start preschool. The chapter on paying for preschool proved extremely valuable--in fact, the information on the child care tax credit is likely going to save me a few hundred dollars this year. THAT alone was worth the cost of the book! The book also discusses how to help your child develop the skills they need to be ready for preschool (pre-math and pre-reading, motor skills, potty training, separation anxiety), tips for getting ready for the first day (lunch/snack ideas, buying school gear, preparing your child for the transition), and tips for adjusting your child and yourself to preschool life. I was surprised to find this information in the book (I had bought this book thinking it would only cover the application process and how to select a preschool) and it was a great bonus.

There's also an appendix on applying to New York City preschools that didn't apply to us. It seems like the application process there can be even crazier than in most places. It was stressful enough thinking about this whole preschool thing here - it makes me wonder how they do it in NYC.

Overall, this book was very valuable to our family and taught us more about ourselves, our child, and what type of education we wanted for her - not only for preschool but in the future. It was a quick and easy read and it came at exactly the right time. Highly recommended.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ - excellent resource... July 17, 2010

By Bea W.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child" IS the ultimate guide to finding the school that is right for your family. As a Preschool Board President, I can attest that this book gives an accurate description of the whole admissions progress - from identifying schools that are a right-fit, through making the final decision, even to paying for preschool. The author explains the jargon (Montessori, Waldorf etc.), and even provides worksheets to help parents identify their own priorities in the Preschool search. This book is so complete, so professional, so readable and clear that I wish this book had been written while I was searching for a school for my oldest son!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic all-in-one resource for parents July 18, 2010

By JC

Format:Paperback

After searching extensively online and talking to other parents, I was so excited to find this book! We're applying to preschool for our son in nyc, and this book helped me make sense of everything and understand which schools will be the best fit for him.