1. What's the difference between a daycare program and a preschool?

Day care programs are usually set up to meet your schedule. For example, you need child care three mornings and one afternoon a week. A day care center can usually meet these needs. At many centers, families can even change schedules from week to week.

Preschools more commonly have set schedules. At Agassiz, for example, we believe that children benefit from a consistent structure and that it gives them a greater sense of security. A familiar routine increases their self-confidence during a stage when separation anxiety is often intense. Thus families at our school choose one of our set schedules for the entire year.

Many preschools, unlike most daycare centers, also require the participation of parents in the operation of the school. Cooperative preschools are also administered by member parents.

2. What is a cooperative preschool?

A cooperative is a private, not-for-profit entity run by its members—usually parents. Parents hire staff to run the school and to teach, and they also assist in all aspects of the school's operation—from admissions to fundraising to bringing a snack. As do all early education programs, a co-op must conform to certain state and local regulations in order to be certified.

Each co-op is unique and reflects the needs and abilities of the community it serves. Because parents are so involved in the school, the tuition charged at cooperative preschools is usually lower than that charged by other types of preschools. Parents are also more able to shape the school environment, and many develop close relationships with teachers, other parents, and other children.

Families who seek out co-ops are committed to considerable involvement in the life of the school. Co-ops are popular because the bring families with young children together around the issues of education, parenting, community, and care. A co-op is a self-selected community of people who are very interested and concerned with preschool education, child care and development—and have the willingness and ability to be a significant part of their child's school and education.

3. How do I know if my child is ready for preschool?

Nothing is more important in a child's early life than time spent learning and playing with parents. A child is ready for preschool only if you are ready as a family. When a child shows increased interest in playing with other kids, when you begin to sense in your child an urgency to explore, to try new things, to test physical skills, when yoiur child becomes clearly interested in the concept of indepedence, of doing things for him or herself, he or she will probably enjoy preschool and thrive in this environment.

4. How do I find a good preschool for my child?

Talk with parents of preschoolers and ask for recommendations, look through the yellow pages, and watch for open houses and school-related events. Government and public service offices also provide recommendations for preschools.

Cambridge and the surrounding towns offer diverse preschool and daycare options. You should first decide which kind of program you are most interested in. Spend a few hours observing a class, meet the teachers, ask questions, and talk with parents about their experiences.

Check with the school director if you want to bring your child to the school for a visit. Most kids love to visit schools, but if your child seems troubled by the environment or the behaviors of other children, the school may not be right for you.

5. What should we look for in a good preschool?

The most important quality of a preschool is that it has to be a place where children are consistently treated with warmth and respect. A gorgeous play yard, terrific classrooms, wonderful projects—none of this matters if the kids are not treated with care. As you observe life in a preschool, watch to see if adults listen to the children and respond to them directly. If a kid has a question, does he or she get an answer? If a kid is testing limits, do adults find ways to give children respect and space to try to work out problems before stepping in? Ask teachers to describe some of the children he or she works with. Is the descritpion warm, insightful and enthusiastic, or is it judgemental and negative?

You also want to ensure that a preschool is safe and has clear policies and rules about safety, that it is clean, and that it is certified by the state. You should also feel confident in the teachers.

6. Are kids in preschool or day care more likely to get sick?

Anytime you put a group of young children together, they are likely to pass on infections. Kids put things in their mouths, they rub noses, they hold hands. Still, a school that understands how kids spread germs can do much to reduce the spread of infections.

Look for a clean center that emphasizes health and understands the reality of how germs are spread. A clean center is one that disinfects surfaces regulary and is meticulous about food and food preparation. A healthy school is a place where the adults teach good hygiene and regular hand-washing, where tissues are in sight, and there is a clear policy about children's health, sick days and immunization.

7. What are the goals of preschool education?

Every preschool is different. There are many educational philosophies, many different approaches. To judge the quality of any one approach, a parent needs to know something about child development and what children are ready for at different ages.

Most experts agree that preschools should be about play. Play is how young children learn, how they develop coordination and physical skills, how they begin making friends and developing a sense of self, how they learn to use their imaginations. In these early years, music, movement, rhythms, and rhyming are also an important part of play.