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How to choose the right preschool?

Does such a place even exist? Shouldn’t every child be cared for and nurtured equally, no matter where they go to school? In theory, the answer should be an overwhelming “Yes!” But reality is never that simple. Childcare, like most things, is far more complicated. Schools aren’t perfect manuals of child psychology, nor are they blueprints for care. So where does that leave a parent?

The decision feels tough, but not impossible. When you visit schools, consider these key factors:

• Are the teachers genuinely engaged? Do they sit on the floor with the kids, playing alongside them? Or are they standing off to the side, eyes glued to their phones? Teachers should be involved in the children’s world, not just overseeing it, without being the dominant force in every game or activity.
• Do the kids seem happy? Are they immersed in play, lost in their own world? Or do they drift around, unsure of what to do next? This might seem obvious, but a child’s natural engagement is a critical indicator.
• What’s the school’s philosophy? Is it rooted in the outdated “carrot and stick” approach, where children need to be coaxed into participating (think worksheets)? Or are the kids eager to jump into activities on their own? The ability to spark intrinsic motivation—rather than relying on external rewards—is crucial. As kids grow older, it becomes increasingly difficult to force interest if it doesn’t come from within.
• Do the school’s values align with your own? Learning through play, freedom to explore, teaching resiliency, failing fast and trying again?
• Are you certain your child is destined for Harvard or MIT? Does reading at age 4 unlock the future of their academic success? These questions may seem extreme, but think about what matters most to you as a parent. Is it academic prestige? Rogue memorization and folders of worksheets? Happiness? Curiosity? Social skills? This is worth considering.
• Does the school show off rims of papers children will take home as completed assignments? Do they think that artwork and projects are the receipts for childcare?
• Remember art and worksheets are NOT RECEIPTS for Child Care!

What will your child learn at our preschool?

In our school, the curriculum is designed to support children’s cognitive development through active exploration and hands-on learning. We know that young children learn through experiences that match their developmental stage, encouraging them to build understanding through interaction with their environment. We utilize a wide range of activities designed to foster independence, curiosity, and a love of learning.

Here are a few developmentally appropriate activities that children partake in.

Exploration and Discovery

• Activities: Manipulating objects, exploring their environment, and engaging in pretend play.

Language Development

• Activities: Storytelling, conversations, labeling objects, and role-playing.
• Skills Gained: Enhanced vocabulary, beginning logic, and a growing understanding of how language represents thoughts and ideas.

Practical Life Skills

• Activities: Pouring, buttoning, tying, sweeping, and food preparation.
• Skills Gained: Fine motor skills, independence, concentration, and a sense of responsibility.

Social Interaction and Perspective Taking

• Activities: Group play, turn-taking games, and role-playing.
• Skills Gained: Recognizing that others have different perspectives, practicing empathy, and developing social rules (though still egocentric).

Logical Thinking with Concrete Objects

• Activities: Sorting, classifying, and simple problem-solving tasks.
• Skills Gained: Basic categorization, understanding of conservation (e.g., recognizing that a quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement), and logical thought based on direct experience.

Mathematics

• Activities: Hands-on materials like number rods, sandpaper numbers, bead chains, and abacus.
• Skills Gained: Basic counting, numerical recognition, and foundational concepts of addition, subtraction, and understanding of quantity.

Motor Skills and Physical Exploration

• Activities: Building blocks, puzzles, drawing, and outdoor play.
• Skills Gained: Fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and physical coordination.

Moral and Ethical Understanding

• Activities: Group discussions on fairness, taking turns, and discussing simple rules.
• Skills Gained: Basic moral development, beginning understanding of right and wrong, and a sense of justice.

Art and Music

• Activities: Drawing, painting, and simple musical instruments.
• Skills Gained: Creativity, self-expression, and an appreciation for arts and music.

Our approach emphasizes discovery learning and allows children to engage in activities that promote self-discovery. Teachers act as facilitators, providing materials and questions that encourage children to explore concepts, make observations, and reach conclusions independently.

Bi-Annual assessment of kids

Because of our philosophy, assessments focus on observing and understanding children’s developmental stages, rather than evaluating them through standardized tests or traditional grading. We emphasize developmental progress over time and value each child’s unique cognitive journey. Therefore, our assessment methods focus on qualitative insights rather than quantitative scores.

Key Characteristics of Assessment in our Approach:

Observation-Based Assessment

• Teachers observe children as they interact with materials, peers, and their environment.
• Observations focus on how children approach tasks, solve problems, and explore new concepts.
• Notes are taken on specific behaviors that reveal the child’s cognitive development, such as the ability to classify, conserve, or use symbolic thinking.

Focus on Developmental Milestones

• Assessment is centered around milestones. For example, teachers might look for signs of symbolic play, understanding of conservation, and beginning logical reasoning.
• Rather than expecting all children to reach milestones at the same time, the focus is on observing each child’s individual progress.

Portfolio-Based Documentation

• Teachers gather examples of children’s work over time, basing their assessment on developmental progress. This might include drawings, notes on conversations, photos of activities, and descriptions of play scenarios.
• This allows teachers and parents to see growth in areas like language, logic, and problem-solving.

Play-Based and Activity-Based Assessment

• We believe that children learn best through play and exploration, assessments involve activities that naturally bring out cognitive abilities, such as block-building for spatial awareness, sorting objects for categorization, or pretend play for symbolic understanding.
• These activities are chosen to align with developmental objectives and help teachers gauge where each child is within the cognitive abilities.

Individualized and Developmentally Appropriate Expectations

• Teachers understand that children progress at different rates, so assessments are individualized rather than comparative. They don’t compare children to each other or hold all to the same expectations.
• The teacher’s role is to identify each child’s current stage and adjust the environment or activities to support their continued growth.

Formative, Not Summative, Evaluation

• Our assessment is formative, meaning it informs the teacher of the child’s developmental needs and helps guide instruction rather than giving a final “grade.”
• This ongoing assessment helps teachers plan activities that are appropriate for each child’s cognitive level and encourage the next steps in development.

Practical Examples of Assessment Techniques

• Conservation Tasks: Testing whether a child understands that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape (e.g., pouring water between differently shaped containers).
• Classification and Sorting: Observing a child’s ability to group objects by category, shape, color, or size, which demonstrates early logical reasoning.
• Perspective-Taking Activities: Using role-play or social games to see if a child can understand that others have different viewpoints.

In summary, assessment in our preschool is primarily observational, developmental, and focused on understanding each child’s cognitive stage. It values growth over scores and aims to support children’s natural progression through the continuum of child’s cognitive development.

About our Teachers

As a parent, letting go of your child – entrusting them to someone else’s care – doesn’t come easily. It’s natural to feel that hesitation. That’s why, at our school, we set a high standard when it comes to choosing our teachers. We don’t just look for qualifications; we seek out people with a deep sense of compassion and dedication. We want teachers who embody patience, empathy, and the kind of understanding that children need to thrive.

To teach isn’t simply to pass on knowledge; it’s about lifting kids up, guiding them, and fueling their curiosity. It’s a profession that builds confidence, fosters creativity, and encourages exploration. For that reason, teaching isn’t a job. It’s a calling.

Our teachers are highly trained professionals. While their educational backgrounds may vary, all have completed in-depth coursework on child development, curriculum design, and activity planning. They’ve learned how to nurture positive interactions, organize engaging activities, and create a safe, healthy environment. They continue to hone their skills through monthly education courses and must pass annual examinations. Each one has also undergone a background check through the state’s Background Record Check Board.

From the school’s side, retaining top talent requires more than just hiring the best – it’s about creating a workplace that reflects the values we hold dear. At Happy Child, we’ve built a supportive, welcoming environment where every teacher feels valued and heard. We regularly conduct employee surveys, like the Gallup Q12, to understand how we’re doing and where we can improve. In addition to offering excellent benefits and reimbursing college courses, we host team-building events throughout the year to keep our staff connected and motivated.

Because when teachers feel inspired, they pass that inspiration to our children. And that’s the real goal.

Philosophy

At the heart of our philosophy is a truth as old as humanity itself: play isn’t merely a rehearsal for life — it is life. Children, like all humans, are driven by instincts to explore, to discover, to carve out a sense of purpose within their world. In a time not so distant, survival depended on understanding and adapting to one’s environment; that drive is still alive today in the way children play. At Happy Child, we honor this primal urge with a curriculum rooted in the wisdom of Piaget and Montessori, Vagotsky and Steinberg, a curriculum that encourages both independence and community.

In this setting, the classroom is more than a learning space; it’s a miniature society. Through play—both solitary and shared—children develop essential skills: they learn to solve problems, to empathize, to navigate conflict, and to bounce back from setbacks. Just as adults thrive when trusted with both freedom and responsibility, children flourish when they’re given the space to chart their own paths. Play isn’t trivial; it’s the deepest, most instinctual form of self-directed learning. Through play, children test their limits, wrestle with new concepts, and forge bonds with others. Our role as educators is simple but profound: we provide the tools, the environment, and the trust, allowing children the freedom to experiment, to stumble, to succeed—all on their terms. In this world of discovery, each child is free to find their way, bolstered by a community that believes in their potential.

By embracing this philosophy, we believe that nurturing a child’s autonomy, curiosity, and connection to others goes far beyond academic success. It equips them to meet the challenges of the larger world with confidence, compassion, and a grounded sense of responsibility.

FSA for current parents

If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), we can help you understand how to use it for your child’s preschool tuition. Additional details, including annual spending limits and filing information for your year-end tax returns, can be found on the IRS’s website or via this link.