Sharing Good Practice
2. Make a school shortlist
If you think that your child is ready, then
you should look up schools that you
think will benefit your child the most.
Read up on their latest brochures and
inspection reports. Ask other parents,
trusted friends, and family. In short, do
some research and make a shortlist of
schools.
You can look into their various
programs and check whether they
already accept kids as young as four
months. Some progressive nurseries
have adaptable early childcare
facilities to support working parents.
This is noteworthy as it is important to
find a safe and secure place to leave
your child in while you are at work.
Other practical considerations that
you might have will be the location,
class schedule, and your own schedule.
3. Visit the school
When you have identified prospective
schools that can address your needs,
make an appointment and book a tour.
This is a crucial step that you must
take to ensure that you have person-
to-person interactions with school
administrators or teachers.
process of choosing an early childhood
educational center for your child. Since
this is his or her first time, then he or
she might still get the jitters from
being away from you and mingling
with other people.
• Talk to your child and explain where
he or she is going and why he or she
is going there. Answer his or her
questions and assure him or her that
you will or the carer will be there to
pick him or her up at the end of the
day. Also highlight school activities
that you know he or she will enjoy.
• Start building practical skills
during the weeks or months
before he or she goes to school.
Read books about starting school;
engage in games and activities that
will require him or her to sit for a bit
of time (e.g. painting or drawing).
• You can also play role-playing
games that simulate school settings.
This will familiarize him or her with
some school situations that will help
him or her to be less nervous during
actual school time.
Let Your Child Bloom
Letting go of your child for the first time
may be quite tricky for both of you. You
as a parent may have apprehensions
and separation anxiety and your child
may also have first day fears. However,
you must know that early education will
help them grow, nourish their minds
and bodies for them to blossom into
bright, happy and responsible adults.
Allow them to go out and socialize. Let
them learn from their own experiences
within the confines of an educational
institution that you have carefully
selected.
With all the painstaking steps that you
have gone through just to make sure
he or she is in a top quality and safe
academic environment, trust in your
judgement and trust your child to
bloom into a productive human being.
This visit will also be a way for you to
personally see the facilities, observe
how they intermingle with each other,
and get a glimpse of how they do
things at school.
4. Ask Questions
During your visit, take the opportunity
to ask questions. Inquire about their
curriculum or educational programs.
Air your thoughts and apprehensions,
if any, about letting your child go
to school for the first time. These
educators will most likely be able to
assuage your doubts and assure you
that they can instill quality education
and values while your child is with
them.
Some questions to ask include how
children behave when in school, how
teachers deal with students (especially
in terms of discipline), and how
teachers communicate with parents.
Help Your Child Prepare for Preschool
Once you’ve decided to go for the
nursery school that best meets
your stringent criteria, then it is also
advisable that you ready your child for
the first few weeks of preschool.
Your job does not just stop because
you have gone through the meticulous
Lama Chivi is the CEO of Blossom by Babilou Education in the UAE. Having lived
in Dubai for over 30 years, she combines the best of international practice and
local expertise into this leading British Curriculum Nursery, delivering a top-tier
and high-quality offering to the MENA region. The mission of Blossom by Babilou
Education is to support children in building their own identity, self-discovery and
awakening while respecting their own pace and their uniqueness.
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