7 Tips for Choosing the Best School for Your Child

Education is one of the most important aspects of shaping your child’s future.  A weak education early in life can keep your child from opportunities later on.  Obviously you want the very best life for your child and the only way it can be facilitated is through the very best education.

1. Make a List of Local Schools.  Before you can even get started selecting the right school, you must find out what schools and types of education are offered in your area.  It’s important to keep an open mind and be thorough in your search.  You might be surprised at the variety of schools around you.  Word of mouth is important but will leave you in the dark to the grand majority of options.   Searches can be made with a school locating website, but should not be limited to that method alone.   If you have a certain type of school in mind (e.g. public or private), be sure they are well covered in your method of search.

2. Make a Short List.  With a little bit of research online, you should be able to get a better idea of what the schools on your list have to offer.  Try to narrow down the list to 5 or less in order to make the following steps more manageable.  However, if you are ultimately dissatisfied with the potential schools you’ve selected, don’t forget the ones you’ve left out.

3. Visit Schools.  Do not rely on reviews or test scores as your sole method of choosing the right school for your child.  Keep in mind that there are as many standards as there are people, and while a school may seem good enough to one parent, it may be far less than what you are hoping for.  Visit each school on your short list, to try to form an opinion one way or the other.  Make notes at each school so that they can be compared later on.

4. Focus on Reading.  Make sure the school has a strong focus on reading in the classroom from the early grades on.  Your child should be surrounded by books and words right from the start.  A lot of teachers of early year students spend too much time with videos and other activities and, while a diverse education is important for a forming child, there should be no deficiency in the reading department.   Preschool and kindergarteners should be given the building blocks of reading, while at the same time being read to and encouraged in storytelling.  This is critical for a child’s development and is also a solid indicator that a school cares about your child’s education.

5. Student-Teacher Relationship.  Make sure that the teacher spends a good deal of time giving individual attention to their students.  When considering a school, interview your child’s potential teacher, asking them about their current students.  The teacher should be well versed on each of their students’ backgrounds, interests, strengths and weaknesses.

6. Recess time.  If you want your child to have a successful and healthy education in their early years, their new school must have daily recesses from class.  Physical activity is critical for the child’s wellbeing while breaks are an integral part of the learning process.  There are a number of schools popping up that have done away with recesses entirely.  Stay away from these schools at all costs.

7. Top Schools.  Most schools offer little more than what they are absolutely required to provide for their students.  Enrolling your child in a top school like Good Tree International School, will not only ensure that they have the very best education but that they are stimulated and offered a variety of activities.  Even though the development of an appreciation for the arts has been proven to increase a child’s overall aptitude, many schools have neglected these programs.  Finding a school that incorporates music, musical instruments, sketching or painting will guarantee a well-rounded education for your child.  These schools have a dedication to giving the best education available and in turn offer your child the opportunity to realize their full potential.

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