What kind of questions should I ask my son's new Preschool Teacher?

Question

My son will be starting preschool in about a week, and I meet with his teacher this friday. What kind of questions have you asked, and what are some other good questions to ask a teacher in regards to the environment, safety, etc.? I'm a little nervous with my son starting school and kind of stumped on what to ask. Thank you in advance for your help. :-)

Answer 1

How often do the kids get to play outdoors?

Answer 2

General question on class size, number of teachers, curriculum, general philosophy are usually sufficient.  Look around the class-room -- pre-school classes generally have different "stations" for different activities.  Don't feel you have to ask the "right" questions.  Talk to parents of children who went to the pre-school last year to get a sense about it.   Don't expect your child to tell you too much either during the year -- but if he seems happy to go each morning you're way ahead of the game.

Answer 3

Ask about the day's schedule and what cirriculum they use, if any.  Some preschools are more kindergarten prep and others focus more on socialization and following rules.  The best ones work on both.

As far as environment; what kind of environment are you looking for?  Do you want your child in a relaxed or overly structured environment?  (Some kids work better in one rather than the other.)  Try to get a feel for how the teacher relates to the kids as well as to the parents.  Does he or she seem uptight about the way your child plays with the toys.  You want someone who will teach them to respect the toys and put them away, but not too uptight to let them enjoy them.

There are two different safety aspects to look for:

1)Are all of the toys age appropriate and safe for that age group?  Are the teachers hands on with the kids during more difficult projects?  Does there seem to be enough supervision for the amount of children so that most accidents can be avoided?

2) What are the precautions and procedures for preventing strangers from gaining access to the children?  Does the school have a policy in place to limit who can pick up a child from school?

Answer 4

definitely take a tour of the grounds

Answer 5

I would ask first off if she knows CPR, and I would ask for schedule and curriculum, ask how many students and if she has a aide that will be helping her.. Really just keep it simple.... Go and have lunch with your child if he seems kind of nervous for the first couple of days..

Answer 6

see the grounds

discipline rules

snacks

her training if child gets hurt

and

how many kids on average are there

Answer 7

Ask if their teaching plan will help benefit him when he is starting kindergarten?

Ask if they teach what is required in the kindergarten testing?

Ask about class size?

Ask about a punishment and rewards system or if they even have one?

Ask how many kids they will have per child?

Ask about tuition and when it is do?

Ask about any homework? ( my nephew went to preschool for three years and never got homework and started kindergarten this year and has homework every night and fights my sister when he has to do it)

If they don't have homework make some for him.  

http://www.starfall.com is a really good website that you child can play games on.

Answer 8

ask her what is expected of him before entering kindergarten and if you're child seems to be headed in the right direction. How they interact with the other kids, if they're lacking in any area and if so, what can you do to help

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hope this helped

http://www.RealityIsAutomatic.com  feel free to comment  :)

Answer 9

Each of the other answers here I saw were very good and I wouldn't want to pick out the one I thought best but the one thing I might add, if you want to give your child a boost in learning at that age, try going to starfall - link below- which a few friends of mine with children who do not have disabilities and those who do, state was very helpful to children to help them learn the basic A,B,C and basic reading.  I think often the child accepts the new environment of preschool better than the parent does:)

Answer 10

I wish I knew what to ask... but here is what I wish i had known then.

I would go to the school where your son will be attending kindergarten and ask to see a sample of a kindergarten report card.

The report cards are broken down to all different kind of skills like...knowing your address... being able to tie your shoes... etc.

Then I would show this report card to the teacher and ask him or her if any of it will be addressed.

Then you will know what to concentrate on at home.

Answer 11

http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-a-Child-f...

Answer 12

Experience: You can ask her about her experience, how long she has worked with that age group.  The more experience the better.  

Routine:  You may also ask about the class routine of course.  You'll want to know when they have snack, lunch, recreation, and lesson plan time.  

Goals:  What are the goals for the class? (the learning goals,  the social goals?)

Items:  You'll want to know about any special items to bring in (such as extra set of clothes in case of accidents, blanket for naptime, comfort toy etc..)  

Is there a posted lesson plan?  Do parents get a written report at the end of the day?  Do they post current toy recalls anywhere?  Does the school have any special occasion days (like Grandparents day, Halloween party)?  Any extra learning opportunities (music,karate,ballet). What are the state safety guidelines and what did the school score in their most recent inspection?  Do the children get report cards at certain intervals?   Is there a parent board where you can be active in school issues? etc etc...

When you see everything I'm sure other questions will come to you.  And don't be afraid to ask.

Answer 13

does she/he know CPR ?

How many years of experience does she have with children?

Does she have any children of her own?

Answer 14

I would ask about how she starts class and her styles of teaching. Don't be too nervous, its not really a big thing to be worrying about. Just at calm, and always remember, think before you speak. Try not to embarras youeself, and just ask questions that come natural. You should also try getting ur son to ask questions also, the teacher would think that was cute.