A parents, choosing a school for your child is not an easy task. After all, it is not a decision that can be done haphazardly since the future of your child is at stake. As a parent, there are a lot of factors that you should consider when picking out the best school to enroll your child in. More often than not, factors range from the practical to those that have the most promise in bringing out the best for your young learner.
Practically speaking, the school of your child should be relatively near your place of residence. If there are no schools within your neighborhood, at least select a school that you will naturally pass along as you go to work. A school that is out of the way can definitely be a big problem in the long run. It can be tiring and not motivating on your part as a parent and on your child. The long distance and traffic can take its toll on you, and no parent would want their child to be late or to incur too many absences at school all because of proximity issues.
The characteristics of the school you choose should also appeal to your standards. Schools are essentially extensions of the home, thus it is important to look for a school whose philosophy is in line with your values and belief system at home. Aside from researching on the school's philosophy, it is also important to know the instructional approaches practiced by the school. Does the average class size and student-teacher ratio appeal to you? Does the school put more emphasis on traditional methods of teaching rather than art and creative expression on the student? Today, there are a lot of schools that have clearly divested from the traditional modes of teaching, and have incorporated alternative teaching philosophies that may be a better fit to the diversity of young learners we have today.
Another important factor to consider when choosing schools is the quality of the facilities and the resources it currently has. Although it does not necessarily follow that a school with a modern architecture and top-class facilities have the highest propensity to mold achievers, the basic facilities of a library with a wide selection of age-appropriate books, an auditorium, a clinic, a clean cafeteria and spacious physical education facilities are important in the school selection process. Aside from inspecting for these kinds of facilities, it is equally important to inquire about the personnel resources the school currently has on board. It is also prudent to ask whether the school has a security team alertly manning the campus during class hours. As a parent, it is important to have that peace of mind knowing that your child is safe as he learns from his teachers and peers.
Lastly, and most importantly, it is important to factor in your child's characteristics in the process of school selection. The personality, response behaviors, learning style, perceived expertise and needs have to be taken into consideration when enrolling a child in a specific school or not. For instance, if your child has a special interest for the arts such as dance or music, it would be nice to look for a school that can hone that passion as early as possible. Also, if your child has special needs, it is prudent to look for a school that follows an alternative instructional approach to meet your child's current disposition. At the end of the day, what is most important is that the school meets the learning requirements of your child and not the other way around.
Bright Water School is one of the Seattle schools that offers a parent and child classes. Parents can meet other parents of young children, learn about early childhood development and engage the Waldorf approach.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_W_James
Comments