Schools

pre school

pre school questions and answers

More information about pre school at Education News.

Q: What qualifications do I need to teach pre-school in a private school?
Someone told me that I need to take a child development class and have a certain amount of college credits in order to be a pre-school teacher. Do you know what the requirements are for this position?

A: I hope you mentioned from which country you are from. In the Philippines,where I am from, a pre-school teacher must have at least master's units for pre-school education. I am a high school principal and I got to talk with the pre-elementary dept. As I know, most of our teachers even have master's degree in pre-elementary education. Your friend who told you that you need to take a child development class was right. And I think a college degree in education is better than just college credits. This is what I know for the Philippines.

Q: Any ideas on what I can introduce to a pre-school setting regarding a woodwork activity?
I want to do a woodwork activity in Pre-school (under 5s)does anyone know anything or any sites that may be useful! Thanks

A: How about if you do a tool activity. Take a board and put nails, screws, bolts of different sizes and then give the children tools. They have to figure out which tool will work with each screw, etc. There is a great book for tools with kids call My Red Toolbox. It actually introduces the tools and has actual tools that come out of hte book and are interactive. Good Luck!

Q: What is an ideal meal for pre-school children?
In food tech, my friend and i are making a dish for children in pre-school it's got to be small portions, with vegetable for nutrients and meat etc. Could you please give us some ideas? It's our decision and its not really a "set" homework task, so nobody saying "do your homework yourself" please. Thank you in advance.

A: pasta and meatballs, cook and serve the meatballs in a yummy tomato sauce with chopped courgettes and onion , have a play to see how many vegetables you can hide in the sauce lol. and sprinkle a little cheese on top, then you can make small portions from it, its economical and kids love to get messy with the sauce xxx

Q: Which would be the best pre school’s like Euro kids/Poddar jumbo kids or your neighborhood playhome?
My son is turning 2 soon and I want him to start going to preschool, I am confused about which would be the best option I hear preschools like Eurokids/Jumbo kids over burden the kids with activities is that true? Which would be the best pre school’s like Euro kids/Poddar jumbo kids or your neighborhood playhome? And also what age would be good to start preschool/playhome?

A: The quickest way I can answer this is talk to parents in your area - especially of children who have cross the preschool stage and shortlist 3-4 preschools. Take a half day off from work and visit them!). Keeping in view the travel time, pollution on the roads, safety and stress on the child, the pre –school should be near your home. So, call the preschools (just the google the names and you’ll get the contact info) you might be interested in and set up a time to visit. You should probably make an appointment for your first visit so that you can be assured the Headmistress will be there and that you will not short staff them while someone shows you around. Some of the questions that you might want to know during the phone call are: Where are you located? Do you provide transportation? Do you give the children meals or snacks? When can I visit? During that first visit, carefully observe while discussing in more detail some of the questions you have already asked or others that concern you. When you visit the branch, see if Children appear happy, content and actively engaged with what they are doing. Ask them whether you'll receive weekly progress reports, the ability to walk in or call at any time of the day, a structured curriculum etc. Also see if the staff have a genuinely caring and friendly relationship with the children, it should have a calm atmosphere with no raised voices. Looking at the facilities, they should be such that your child can use and enjoy and are not just decoration pieces. Also you may enquire about picnics, outings, cultural functions, sports days etc and whether there will be any additional charges for the same. Some preschools tend to ask money for stationery, picnics and other things later on which you should clarify right at the onset. A preschool which commits that there will be no charges for such things later on is a wiser choice rather than going in for one with hidden costs. You should look for a pre- school organized by a team of well - educated, knowledgeable professionals. The School should have a well –designed, coordinated and planned system because it is easy to confuse children without any system/planning. Consider the number of Years of experience the school has in the industry. The older schools have experience of handling a variety of children and you will benefit from the rich understanding of child psychology. Another thing to check out before choosing the preschool for your child is the performance of the school’s alumni in senior schools. Also talk to teachers (if you know any) in senior schools as to which preschool’s children tend to be selected in their schools and also do better in later classes. And finally ask yourself “ Would i would be happy here if i were a child ? & would i feel comfortable leaving my child here ?” You should get your answer! Personally- I would send my child to Shemrock (http://www.shemrock.com) Best Wishes

Q: How do you report a pre-school teacher for abusing a child?
I just found out that my nephews pre-school teacher bit his arm back in September. Apparently my nephew had bit another student and the teacher wanted to "teach him (my nephew) what it felt like". The teacher also grabs my nephew's face and pinches it to get his attention. What I need to know is how I can report this and what legal alternatives do I or his parents have. The teacher left her entire jaw print on his arm. There are pictures. The parents did take it to the head of the school and was told that my nephew "was out of control that day".

A: The CPS (Child Protective Services) in your area will be more helpful than the police. Not to mention, the police will probably just refer you there if you call them. Also, the parents of the child should call CPS, not you. Accusations made by people other than the parents are not taken as seriously since you really have no basis to press charges. Before making the call, the parents should be sure they have all the information on hand. They will need to know names, dates, times and explicit descriptions of what happened. I suggest they include the response of the child care provider, as well as make it clear that they have photos. The best time to do this is when the CPS employee asks, "Is there anything else you would like to add?" (Until they get to that point, they are simply filling out a standard form.) Once CPS has gathered all the information they need, they will begin a formal investigation. In most states, EVERY report of child abuse must be investigated. If the result of their investigation includes filing charges against the day care provider and/or the teacher, I would start lawyer-shopping if a civil case (i.e. money) is something you are interested in. More than likely, a civil case would have to follow a conviction in a criminal case, but it is best to involve a lawyer when the case is still in the criminal phase. If you choose to contact a lawyer, I would do so very quietly. DO NOT make claims that you plan to sue. Doing so will make it look like money may be your motivation and the defense attorney will paint the parents as money-hungry, in effect weakening your criminal case. One more thing, if the child is still in the abusive pre-school, remove him immediately. You should also know that if it can be proven that he was sent back to the pre-school AFTER the abuse was revealed, you won't have much of a civil case. The reason is that the defense attorney will argue that the abuse is either false or exaggerated since the parents seemed to think the situation was safe enough to send the child back to. Best of luck!!!

Q: How to become a pre-school teacher or assistant?
I'm attending school right now to become a teacher (i have 2 school years left until i receive my bachelor's degree). I have been hearing from different people that one can become a pre-school teacher before getting your actual degree but you need something else (not sure what it is). Does anyone know exactly what it is i would need to apply as a pre-school teacher? or is not true?

A: depends on if you want to teach in a school sponsored school or a daycare/preschool. in an elementary school you'll need the degree, in a daycare/preschool you need 6 months experience, a high school diploma and a willingness to work cheap.

Q: Where can I get good Christian pre-school material or help?
We want to take our pre-school program beyond mere babysitting or just going through story time and coloring. Where can I get ideas or find out more or network with other more experience Christian pre-school heads to raise up the little ones?

A: visit Christian preschools and ask them about their curricula. I'm sure you can find a lot of information.

Q: Can i take my puppy to puppy pre school without his 2nd jabs?
I have a beagle of 8 weeks and i am thinking of taking him to puppy pre school as he's my first dog. They say 8 - 16 weeks old is the best time to do it. I want to take him at 11 weeks as its another 3 weeks till his 2nd injection. I am unsure

A: WE have NO WAY to know !!! You have to ask the RIGHT PEOPLE and that's the people who run the dog training classes. THEY are the trainers... you pay for their services... THEY get to make the rules and we have no way to know what rules THEY have set. -!-

Q: How long does it take to adjust to pre-school for 2 yr old?
My 2 year old just started pre-school last week. How long did it take your kids to adjust and enjoy going? This is her first time being separated from mommy & daddy. She cries a lot when she is at school, and is stand-offish towards the teachers/adults. She loves playing with other kids when we go to Gymboree, etc. but is a bit scared of them when she is at school.

A: my 2 yea old took a week to get use to it now she loves it and i cant get her away from there lol your one will get use to it it takes a bit of time to adjust to it thats all

Q: My 4 year old son is behind his inmunization shots.Will he be able to attend pre school?
I live in Irving,Tx and school starts next month,enrollment for pre school is this month on the 31st.My husband told me our son has to have all his shots or he will not be accepted in school, is this true?

A: No you do not need shots at all for any school. Here is the site to download the exemption form for your state. I have 2 sons that go to public and private schools with the waiver. It needs to be notorized. In the blue column second from the top see state exemptions. In Texas medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions are accepted. This link is the NVIC-national vaccine information center. http://www.909shot.com For anyone interested in vaccine info http://www.educatebeforeyouvaccinate.com http://www.safeminds.org http://www.thinktwice.com http://www.vaers.hhs.gov

Q: Can I use pre-school fees for claiming education credits?
Can I use my daughters pre-school fees for claiming education credits(line 31 of form 1040A) on my 2006 tax return - filing joint return with my spouse?

A: If you are using 1040A you would attach a Schedule 2 for Dependent Care expenses if you qualify. You can not use these expenses for education credit.

Q: at about what age do you usually start your child in pre school?
i just want to know what age i should start my son in pre school.

A: I really don't think there is a "usual" age. Many parents never even put their children in pre-school. Many states offer some kind of "pre-K" program which is for the year before they start kindergarten. I find a lot of parents put their children in a mothers morning out program or something similar for their 1/2/3 yr olds, depending on when the parent feels the child is ready or would benefit from it. I have heard parents say that they put them in at a particular point when they felt the children were bored and longed to spend more time with other kids. Other parent simply put them in pre-school when they feel it's time that the parent needs to go back to work. So I say do it when you feel it's the right time for you and your child! *Some* studies have shown that children who were enrolled in a pre-K program did better in school . . . I haven't seen any studies on starting them sooner being beneficial or not beneficial.

Q: What are the bad effects of going to pre-school? Is it really good?
In other words, what are the cons of going to pre school. Is it really as good as the experts say? Can pre school be bad for children, especially toddlers? Please help! Thanks :)

A: There seem to be concerns relating to the number of hours spent in institutionalized/regimented care. Interesting article: http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/Centers/education/policynote/07_finne_alldayschool.html Your best sources for this type of research are likely to come from a subscription database. Look on your local college or public library Web site for access to databases and the published literature within. Many libraries now are offering research assistance via an IM or live chat type service. Asking for help from a librarian can save you loads of time. http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/ ERIC is another good place to do education related research http://www.eric.ed.gov/ http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=preschool+and+effect&searchtype=basic&NARROWpubDateRangeTo=2009&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=kw&NARROWkeyword_search=negative&pageSize=10&eric_displayNtriever=true&eric_displayStartCount=1&NARROWpubDateRangeFrom=0&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b80299996&accno=EJ780742&_nfls=false