About Us | Feedback | Privacy Policy | Comment Policy | News
| Blog | Partners | Sitemap
© Savvy Source for Parents 2006 - 2008
The Preschool Selection eBook
Written by a Rhodes Scholar, Harvard PhD and award-winning authors Bryan and Emily Hassel, the Savvy Source Preschool Selection eBook is the definitive guide for navigating the preschool selection process.
You get a 90-page preschool eBook that includes:
- Worksheets that identify what kind of learner your child is
- Recommendations of school types that work best with each kind of learner
- Worksheets to identify your parenting style and family values
- Smart, savvy questions to pose on a school tour
- Admissions tips
- Checklists on how to determine the quality of teaching
$191.7MB eBook, in PDF format
Are you wondering...
- Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based? What do each of these school types mean?
- What school type is right for my child and does it matter?
- What is the right age to start preschool? Two? Three? Four?
- What does the research say about school types?
- How can I tell if the quality of teaching is high?
- What kinds of questions should I ask on a school tour?
- How does my child learn (vs. another) and what kind of school type I should be looking for given his learning style?
- What are tried and true tips on how to secure a slot for my child?
- How can I tell if a school "matches" my parenting style and family values?
Table of Contents
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS (WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?)
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
- How This Guide Will Help You
- Six Steps to a Successful Preschool Choice
CHAPTER 2: LET'S GET STARTED
- What to Consider as You Get Started
- When and How to Start Your Preschool Search
- Preschool Designs Explained
- Demystifying Admissions
CHAPTER 3: SOLVE THE GREAT FIT PUZZLE: CHILD-FAMILY-SCHOOL
- What You Need to Know About Fit
- Four Great Fit Factors
- What Your Child Learns
- How Your Child Learns
- Social Issues
- Practical Matters
CHAPTER 4: LEARN ABOUT TRULY GREAT PRESCHOOLS
- What You Need to Know About Preschool Quality
- Seven Great Preschool Quality Factors
- Clear Mission
- High Expectations
- Monitoring of Progress and Adjusting Teaching
- Focus on Effective Learning Tasks
- Home-School Connection
- Safe and Orderly Environment
- Strong Instructional Leadership
- What About This, What About That? (Other Considerations)
CHAPTER 5: INVESTIGATE SCHOOLS USING THE SAVVY SOURCE
- What You Need to Know About The Savvy Source
- Key Pages on The Savvy Source
- Summary Page
- General Information
- School Philosophy and Day-in-the-Life
- Curriculum and Teaching Approach
- Quality of Teaching
- Home-School Connection
- Discipline, Health and Safety
- Ages, Schedule and Tuition
- Applications and Admissions
- Kindergarten Placement and Tips
CHAPTER 6: MAKE YOUR CHOICE, MAKE IT HAPPEN
- Doing More Research About Preschools
- Helpful Tools for Choosing Preschools
- Child and Family Needs List
- Personalized Great Fit Checklist
- Great Preschool Quality Checklist
- Preschool Interview Sheet
- Preschool Comparison Worksheet
- Preschool Parenting Planner
- Admissions Final Word: Waiting List, Shmaiting List
- Remembering to Make the Most of Any Preschool
SUMMARY OF SOURCES
Preschool Book Excerpt:
Preschool Designs Explained
Schools come in all different shapes and sizes, so wouldn't it be nice if you could make some safe assumptions about certain preschool designs?
We've heard numerous complaints from parents disappointed that the school design they thought they'd chosen for their children was not at all what they got. There is enormous variation even among designs that supposedly follow a prescribed plan for values, materials, instruction and school organization. Some preschools do a design well, and others do not. That said, we know you're hungry for any knowledge that can help you cut through the clutter of information about preschools, so here is help navigating the many different preschool designs. You most likely will find variations on these and other, less common designs available in your area.
Free Play or "Play-Based"
Philosophy: Young children develop full complement of cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills best when most of preschool day includes free play with materials that can be used individually or by small groups. Free play avoids decreased risk-taking and cooperation among young children, who may feel that they have "failed" when asked to do more structured work.
Common Practices:
- Use of hands-on materials, art and self-initiated projects
- Free play with limits set by number of children who are able to play at a particular station
- Limited (or no) use of worksheets and limited focus on letters and numbers
May Best Fit Children Who Are:
- Hands-on learners
- Exposed to literacy and math outside of preschool
- Self-motivated learners
Predominantly Teacher-Led Instruction (or "Structured" or "Direct" Instruction)
Philosophy: Young children will best be prepared for academic success if they are taught fundamentals of literacy and math directly, using teacher-lead instruction, worksheets teaching letter and number symbols, and the like.
- Use of worksheets to teach letter and number symbols, sounds and meanings
- Whole group activities led by teacher
- Some free play/choice time, but not as much as play-based preschools
More...