Getting Started

Your baby is not even a year old, but already you're thinking about preschool. Should you send her to preschool or wait until kindergarten? Will she be OK in your local public school, or would the private preschool your friends and family keep mentioning be a better option? I've been there. Done that. Both of my daughters attended private preschools, mainly because back in the 70s, there was no public preschool option, at least that I can remember. Furthermore, I was blessed with a supportive mother-in-law who paid for her granddaughters' preschool. So, with that in mind, here are my suggestions to help you choose preschools that suit your needs and requirements best.

Which Early Education Approach?

Choosing the right early childhood education approach for your child is a significant decision that can shape her developmental journey. With various fine educational philosophies available, parents often face a confusing array of options. This article aims to demystify three popular early childhood education approaches: Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia. By understanding the core principles, benefits, and potential challenges of each, you can make an informed decision tailored to your child's unique needs.

The Montessori Method: Fostering Independence and Self-Discipline

The Montessori method, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) in the early 20th century, emphasizes independence, self-discipline, and hands-on learning. In a Montessori classroom, children are encouraged to explore and learn at their own pace, guided by specially designed materials that promote sensory-based learning.

Key Principles and Practices

Child-Centered Learning

What's involved in choosing a private school for your child? Which school is the best one? Can I get financial aid? How do I apply? I've got some answers for you. And they're based on my experience as a parent. My daughters attended private elementary schools, and those were great experiences. So, when it came to choosing a private high school, I thought I knew everything. Was I ever wrong! That's why I wrote this article. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. So, here is my 10-step guide to choosing a private school. When you want to drill down for more detailed answers, click the links I have included with each step.

1. Identify Your Child's Needs and Family Requirements

When choosing a private school, the first focus must be understanding your child’s unique needs and your family’s requirements. Begin by assessing your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses to pinpoint what educational environment best supports their learning style. Consider your family’s values and educational philosophy, as these will guide you in selecting a school that aligns with your principles.

Next, determine whether you are looking for a day or boarding school, which can significantly affect your child’s development and family dynamics. Additionally, evaluate the need for special programs, such as those for gifted students or students with learning differences, to ensure the school can provide the necessary support.

Finally, define your budget and explore

As a Young Person

I remember being intimidated by the private schools in my hometown of Montreal. I only became aware that there was such a thing as a private school in fifth or sixth grade when a couple of my classmates took the entrance examinations at Lower Canada College and Selwyn House School. I don't recall much discussion at home about the schools except that the academic work was hard and that my parents couldn't afford to send me to a private school. Then, in high school, we got a couple of new classmates who had previously attended a boarding school in the Eastern Townships. These lads struck me as snobbish, arrogant, rich, undisciplined, and not serious about learning. So, I understood why they had been asked not to return after a year at their school. That was the first time I knew private schools strive to be genuine learning institutions.

As a Parent

I had a different impression of private schools when we began thinking about preschools and elementary schools for our daughters. My late wife had attended private schools in Manhattan, so sending our kids to private schools made sense. Both girls attended preschools operated by the churches we attended. My eldest daughter then attended the local Waldorf school for the elementary grades. Again, we had positive experiences at all three of these schools. A few years later, we moved to Litchfield County, Connecticut. It's beautiful country, but not many people live there.

One of our parental prerogatives is to worry about our children. That's because your child never came with an instruction manual. As a result, you have had to learn so many things about parenting simply by being a parent. No matter, worry is part of the parental landscape. If you are considering sending your child off to a private school, your worries will be pretty specific. Probably along the lines of the following questions.

Many parents find the concept of sending a child to boarding school upsetting; a child's adolescence is such a distinctively affective period that entrusting it to others seems wrong. Yet boarding schools prosper, successors to institutions dating to medieval times. Source: Forbes.com

Will my child be safe?

Private schools take your child's safety very seriously. Contractually a boarding school functions in loco parentis, which is a legal way of stating that the school acts in the place of the parent when it comes to supervision of its students, your child included.

Here is an overview of Westchester Country Day School, High Point, North Carolina.

In many respects, your child is safer at school, where she cannot drive or go to somebody's house and get into who-knows-what after school while you are at work. Private schools do not permit drugs, drinking, and smoking. Zero tolerance is the rule. Does it prevent teens from pushing the limits and experimenting? That's

In this imaginary conversation based on actual questions I have answered over the years, a parent who is thinking about sending her four-year-old to a private school asks me various questions.

Why would I want to send my child to a private school?

We had several requirements when looking at private schools for our daughters. Small class size was a major requirement. The other was academic content. Our eldest daughter was one of the first students in a newly-opened parochial school. Her class had 12 students, which afforded her plenty of individual attention. The entire school population was less than 100 students.

We also were concerned about what she would be taught. She read above her grade level, enjoyed reading, and drawing. There were no video games, tablets, or cellphones to distract her in those days. Her teachers never held her back academically or intellectually. On the contrary, they built a strong foundation that strengthened learning in the primary grades.

What grade? Primary? High school?

Our daughters went to PK private schools. It was a happy experience for them and us because the schools were small and well-run. Then both girls had a few years in public schools in rural Northwestern Connecticut. We quickly discovered that those schools had terrific, experienced teachers with limited academic curricula. Consequently, we decided to send both girls off to boarding school. Their age difference of five years afforded us some relief from paying two tuition bills. And we weren't constantly driving them