ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604260004
SECTION: PARENTS' PAGE: PG-5 EDITION: METRO
Going to preschool is an important step in a child's life, said Lynwood Day, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating children and adolescents.
For children who have been at home, it provides an opportunity to interact with adults other than their parents. For those who have already been in day care, it's a chance to have more structured time and to work on social skills that will "make the transition to kindergarten easier," she said.
"It teaches them to listen and to keep track of their own things," said Marybeth Chaconas of Franklin County, the mother of three.
"They learn that there is order to life," said Dianne Sumney of Roanoke County, who also has three children. "They learn to stand in line and sit in a chair."
A child is ready for preschool at about 3, when he or she separates easily from the parents, Day said. It's also important that a child shows an ability to play with other children.
On the other hand, a shy, withdrawn child who may not seem ready for preschool often will benefit from the new environment.
Both Chaconas and Sumney had children who were born just after the cut-off date for kindergarten. They said they believed it would be better for their children to have the extra year in preschool rather than enroll as "young" kindergartners.
Most schools require that a child be toilet-trained.
"It's not a bad idea" Day said. "They need that certain level of independence."
A child who is not toilet-trained but seems otherwise ready can benefit from a day care or "mother's day out" program, Day said.
In selecting a preschool, she said, parents need to make sure the teachers are well-trained in child development, something day care workers often are not.
When Kay Warren moved to Roanoke three years ago, she came armed with a list of accredited day care centers. She looked at only one, Honeytree Early Learning Centers, and enrolled her child there.
"We looked around and we were pleased with what we saw."
Accreditation was very important to her, she said. "It doesn't really make a lot of difference in preschool, but the [student-teacher] ratios are lower."
The staff should be warm and friendly, and the parents should agree with the methods of discipline, Day said. If the program is affiliated with a church, which many are, the parents should be comfortable with the religious instruction.
"We had to keep trying one after the other until we found one that felt good," Chaconas said. One program that came highly recommended was held in a room without windows, something Chaconas thought would not be good for her children.
Finding a program in the neighborhood is important, too, not just for the parents' convenience, but also so the children can make friends who live nearby, Day said.
But some parents make the mistake of "going to whatever school is closest" to their home, Chaconas said, and that's not always a good idea.
Some programs emphasize academic subjects such as reading and math, Day said. Some even offer computer classes for the preschool set. Others are big on playing and socializing.
Sumney said that when it came time for her oldest child to go to preschool, she carefully researched every one in the area and found that there are both kinds here, plus everything in between.
For Sumney, it was important that her child have access to the outdoors and plenty of art supplies. Her daughter also wanted a school that had swings, which she loves.
Warren's son liked the climbing toys and the huge sandbox at his school.
"One school will appeal to your child more than another one," Chaconas said.
The school the Chaconas children go to has one-way mirrors, where the parents can watch their children play without disturbing them.
It's up to the parents to choose what kind of setting they prefer, but Day warns that studies show that although children who learn to read and write early are ahead in kindergarten and first grade, any differences tend to even out by the third grade.
"Some people like one thing, some like another," Chaconas said.
It's also important to re-evaluate the program after several years, she said. If you liked your first child's preschool enough to send your second child to it, it's worthwhile to make sure any new staff members can provide the same experience.
The best approach, Sumney said, is to "listen to what other mothers say." As a side benefit, she said, if the parents like the program, they are more likely to hang around afterward and make friends with each other.
It's also very important for parents to be able to drop by and observe whenever they want to, so they can make sure things are going well, Sumney said.
"You need to meet the teachers," Chaconas said. A teacher who does too much for the children, rather than letting them do things on their own, is almost as bad as one who is not helpful.
Cost should be one of the last things a parent considers when evaluating a program, Chaconas said.
In her research Sumney found that although there are some very expensive preschools in the area, most of the fees fall within $20 of each other, and some even offer scholarships.
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: TIM TREVILIAN. 1. Staying busy at Honeytree Earlyby CNBLearning Centers are (from left) Kassie Collins and Claire Allison.
2. A trio of boys, including (from left) Tyler Powers, Justin
Stevenson and Andrew West, gets together on the playground equipment
at Honeytree.