What makes a good school?

5 Things to Look for When Choosing a School for your child:

1. Staff is key!  Look for attentive and caring teachers.  You should see lots of smiles and warm, patient interactions.  Ask about the longevity of teachers as consistency provides a secure base for children.

2. Is the facility safe?   Are outlets covered, is there a procedure for security at drop off and pick up times, is the playground fenced, are the teachers backgrounds checked and are teachers’ first aid and CPR certified?

3. Is the school clean?  You may see toys around the room and that is a good sign so children have many opportunities for learning in different environments and with different materials.  What you want to look for are the floors clean, is there a procedure in play for toys that have been in children’s mouths, is the facility cleaned on a regular basis?

4. Ask about the curriculum.  Are lesson plans posted, do teachers assess children, are there a good supply of materials available to children.  Look for hands on activities as opposed to only paper and pencil activities.  Children learn best through real life experiences.

5. Trust your instinct!  You should hear happy sounds, respectful communications, and warm interactions regardless of the room you visit!  

You can email staff@kangarookidschildcare.com for a complete checklist of what to look for when visiting a school. 

Gardening is an Educational Opportunity!

Gardening is a wonderful learning experience for children!!!!  I am amazed at how skillfull, even the two year olds are at caring for their garden at Kangaroo Kids while planting, watering, weeding and harvesting!!  The children are so proud of their accomplishments!!  They have learned about responsibility, pride in a job well done, taking turns, being gentle and not to mention all the aspects of science they are learning!!!

Gardening is a tremendous time to teach literacy as teachers or parents explain the names of plants and the parts that make up their structure.

And we can’t forget math… look at how they creatively used a ruler to measure their harvest and carry the squash to learn about weight and density!!  There was also a wonderful lesson in teamwork as the worked together to carry the plants that were too heavy to carry alone!!!

Get started in your preschools or even at home and grow your own little garden so children can experience wonderful hands on activities in literacy, math, science as well as social skills of team work and responsibility and pride in a job well done!