By Melanie Norall

Touring preschools for the first time can be overwhelming. First-time parents often don’t have a clue as to what types of questions to ask. So, here’s a handy list to take along on your visit! We hope you find it helpful.

40 Preschool Questions  

1. What’s the school’s history?
2. What are the accreditations?
3. What’s the capacity?
4. Is there a waitlist, or do you have space?
5. Does my child need to be potty-trained?
6. What are the hours?
7. What’s the holiday schedule/what days are you closed?
8. Is pickup/drop-off time flexible, and is there a late pickup fee?
9. What’s the cost?
10. Are there sibling discounts? Scholarships?
11. Are parents allowed to visit at any time?
12. What’s the parent involvement?
13. How do you communicate with/update parents on child’s progress?
14. Are there regular parent-teacher conferences?
15. How are the kids grouped/how large are the groups?
16. What’s the teacher/child ratio?
17. How many teachers and teaching assistants do you have?
18. What are the staff’s credentials?
19. Is staff trained in CPR/first aid?
20. Do you do background checks on staff?
21. How long has your staff been here, and what’s the turnover rate?
22. What’s the educational philosophy?
23. Is it developmental, academic or both?
24. Will my child learn numbers, letters, colors?
25. How do you evaluate kindergarten readiness?
26. What types of toys/activities do you offer?
27. Is your play yard safe and enclosed, and what’s offered outdoors (bikes/trikes/climbing)?
28. What’s the typical schedule?
29. Are there extracurricular activities, such as music time?
30. How are children disciplined?
31. How do you comfort children?
32. Do children need to be immunized?
33. What’s your sick-child policy?
34. What’s the hand-washing policy?
35. How often are toys cleaned?
36. How secure is the school?
37. What’s your disaster plan?
38. What meals do you provide?
39. Do you have naptime/how is it handled?
40. Can I have some references?