Choosing a Preschool:Simple Tips for Parents

譯/楊偉 審訂/仲文明

（譯者單位：中南大學外國語學院）

Parents across the country, you can relax. Contrary to what you might have heard, choosing the right preschool for your child is not as diff i cult as applying for an advanced degree.The key to choosing the right preschool is going into the process prepared. Prepared? Yes, prepared with a solid idea of what you want your child to gain from his or her preschool experience.This article offers helpful suggestions for choosing a preschool that is a good match for your child and your family, as well as information on some of the most popular types of preschool educational philosophies.

家長朋友們，你們可能聽說過為孩子挑選合適的幼兒園難如申請高級學位，但事實并非如此，你們大可放心。挑選合適幼兒園關鍵在于提前研究挑選流程。提前研究？沒錯，家長首先明確自己期待孩子在幼兒園有何收獲。本文就“挑選適合孩子和家庭的幼兒園”提出一些建議，也會介紹部分風行的學前教育理念。

Step one: think about the basics

The best way to keep from becoming overwhelmed by the process of choosing a preschool is to think about how the preschool will fit into your daily life. Here are some questions parents should consider:

第一步：考慮基本因素

選擇幼兒園的流程往往讓人眼花繚亂，因此最好考慮清楚目標幼兒園與日常生活是否契合。家長需考慮下列問題：

Is it important for the preschool to be near my home?

Is it important for the preschool to be near my workplace?

Is it important for the preschool to offer childcare services in the morning,afternoon, or both?

Am I eligible for or interested in subsidized preschool programs (i.e. Early Head Start, Child Welfare League of America or state-funded programming)that offer services such as childcare programs with a focus on providing educational opportunities?

Answering each of these questions will help you narrow down the general location and type of setting you should research. Narrowing down your choices will make the process of comparing settings easier to manage.

幼兒園是否需要離家較近？

幼兒園是否需要離工作場所較近？

幼兒園是否提供上午、下午或全日托管服務？

學前公益項目（如美國早期教育計劃，美國兒童福利聯盟或國家資助項目）提供兒童照管等服務，旨在為孩子提供教育機會。我是否有資格或者有意申請此類項目？

回答上述問題有助于家長縮小范圍，確定所需了解的幼兒園大體位置和類別。而范圍縮小將簡化擇校對比流程。

Step two: become familiar with common terms

For many parents, the most confusing part about choosing preschools is trying to make sense of terms such as,“Montessori Approach,” “child-centered,” “Waldorf Approach” and “faithbased.” What do these terms mean and how can these terms help you choose a preschool?

Oftentimes, the key difference between settings is connected to the preschool’s“educational philosophy.” While educational philosophies are numerous and their definitions are not set in stone, we have provided you with definitions for some of the most popular philosophies.

第二步：熟知常見術語

擇校過程中，家長會聽到很多術語，諸如 “蒙特梭利教學法”“以兒童為中心”“華德福教學法”和“基于信仰”等，很多家長對此摸不著頭腦。這些術語有何含義？它們對家長挑選幼兒園有何幫助呢？

各類幼兒園的主要差異在于“教育理念”不同。雖然教育理念種類繁多，定義并非一成不變，我們列出了一些最常見教育理念的定義。

The Montessori Method

Focuses on maintaining the individuality of each child in the learning process.This method believes each child learns at their own pace and educational progress should not be rendered based upon comparing students to one another.

蒙特梭利教學法

該教學法強調在學習過程中尊重每個孩子的個性。該方法認為每個孩子擁有自身的學習進度，教學進度不應通過比較孩子的學習情況來決定。

The Reggio Emilia Approach

This approach focuses on providing opportunities for problem solving through creative thinking and exploration.

瑞吉歐教學法

該教學法強調讓孩子通過創造性思維和探索來解決問題。

The Waldorf Approach

This approach places an emphasis on imagination in learning, providing students with opportunities to explore their world through the senses, participation and analytical thought.

華德福教學法

該教學法強調想象力在學習中的作用，讓孩子們利用感知、參與和分析性思維來探索自身世界。

The Bank Street Approach

This approach places an emphasis on learning through multiple perspectives,both in the classroom setting and in the natural world.

河濱街模式

該教學法強調多視角學習，既要在課堂上也要在大自然中學習。

The High/Scope Approach

This approach focuses on letting children be in charge of their own learning. Children are taught to make a plan for what they would like to do each day and participate in a review session to discuss the success of their plan and brainstorm ideas for the next day.

Outside of the formal educational philosophies, knowing the difference between other common early childhood terms will help you make informed decisions regarding your child’s education.

高瞻學習法

該方法強調讓孩子自主學習。孩子們在家長或老師的指導下制訂每日計劃，參與回顧性會議，討論計劃的成功之處并為第二天的學習制訂計劃。

除了上述專業教育理念，掌握其他常見幼兒教育術語之間的差異也有助于為子女教育做出精明決策。

Child-centered

This term is often used to describe settings that take the children’s interests into consideration when planning activities. For example: in a child-centered setting, the classroom activities are based on the interests of the students,not on pre-scheduled topics chosen by the teacher. These settings often offer increased opportunities for children to choose activities throughout the day depending on their interests.

以兒童為中心該術語通常用以描述策劃活動時會考慮孩子興趣的幼兒園。例如：在以兒童為中心

Teacher-led

The opposite of a child-centered setting is a teacher-led setting. Teacherled often means that curriculum and supplemental activities are implemented based on a set schedule developed by the teachers in the setting. This type of setting usually provides children with a structured learning environment.

教師主導

“教師主導”是與“以兒童為中心”相對的概念。此類教學模式中，課程安排與課外活動一般都根據授課老師的既定計劃開展。此類模式一般安排周密，井然有序。

Child-led

These settings believe children learn best when they are engaged and interested in learning. Child-led settings wait for each child to initiate or ask for new activities and experiences, fostering individualized learning experiences rather than group experiences.

兒童主導

此類模式認為，只有專注投入、興趣濃厚，才能獲得最佳學習效果。“兒童主導”模式期待每個孩子發揮主動性，探尋新活動，獲取新體驗，培養個性化而非集體化的學習體驗。

Faith-based

This term is used to describe preschool programs that are run through faith organizations such as churches or synagogues, according to their faith’s philosophies.

基于信仰

該術語指教堂或猶太教堂等基于信仰的組織興辦的學前教育機構。

Co-operative

These settings often ask parents and families to assist in the running of the preschool. Parents and family members may build community by signing up to volunteer during the week, or by assisting in the day-to-day management of the preschool as well as helping with advertising, upkeep and fundraising.

家校共建

此類模式經常要求父母或其他家庭成員協助幼兒園運行。父母或其他家庭成員通過參與下列活動形成團體：注冊成為工作日志愿者，協助幼兒園的日常管理，幫助幼兒園宣傳、維修和募款等。

Developmentally Appropriate

This term means the preschool plans the curriculum and activities based on activities that are appropriate for the age of the children in the class.

適度發展

該術語指基于孩子的年齡規劃課程，安排與孩子年齡相適宜的活動。

Pre-kindergarten (pre-K)

Sometimes this term is used interchangeably with preschool. In general,a pre-K program is one that has children enrolled in the year before kindergarten,usually at age four. These settings are often more structured than traditional preschool settings.

學前班

該術語有時可以和“托兒所”換用。學前班通常指4歲左右的兒童進入幼兒園前一年讀的學校，比傳統的幼兒園更講究條理。

Step three: the research

Once you have narrowed down the general area you are interested in researching and have a good idea of what type of philosophy would best suit your child, here are a few things you can do to help narrow down your options:

第三步：調查研究

確定了感興趣的大致領域，明確了最適合孩子的教學理念后，便可通過下列做法進一步縮小選擇范圍：

Reach out to other parents: Ask your friends, your neighbors, your pediatrician, your older child’s teacher—ask people you trust for recommendations for quality settings in your area. Be mindful to note the name of the setting and what struck this person as important to mention (low student teacher ratio,close to home, child is excited to arrive, etc.). And, the best question to ask is, “What advice do you wish you had received before choosing your child’s preschool?” Most parents will be happy to offer their insight and advice.

與其他家長交流：咨詢信任的人，如朋友、鄰居、兒科醫生、年齡較大孩子的老師，讓他們推薦本地區的優質幼兒園。認真記下幼兒園的名稱和推薦人提到的重要信息（如師生比低，離家近，孩子喜歡上課等）。另外，最值得提出的問題是：“在為孩子選擇幼兒園前，你最希望獲得什么建議？”大多數家長都樂于分享他們的見解和建議。

Go to the internet: You might be surprised to learn that your community has an active preschool networking community, a great place to tap into useful advice and resources. Or, you can use the internet to search the names of settings to find out if they have any “red flags” like numerous complaints from parents, health or safety violations, or other noteworthy issues. The Child Care Aware Web site makes it easy to search for preschools by zip code. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Web site allows users to research preschools in their area that have NAEYC accreditation.

利用互聯網：你也許會驚奇地發現自己所在社區就有十分活躍的幼兒園網絡社區——這是尋找有用建議和資源的好去處。或者可以利用互聯網搜索不同幼兒園的名稱以檢測它們是否被“亮過紅燈”，例如：家長的抱怨、健康問題、安全違規以及其他值得注意的問題。輸入郵政編碼可以輕松在兒童關愛組織網站搜索到當地幼兒園。美國幼兒教育協會網站也可以搜索到該組織認證的幼兒園。

Step four: the visit

第四步：參觀

Now that you have narrowed down your choices and come up with two or three settings you are interested in,schedule a time to visit each setting.You can learn a lot about a setting by the way staff approach introductory visits with you and your child. During your visit ask yourself the following questions:

把選擇范圍縮小到兩三家幼兒園之后，就可以抽空逐個參觀。在工作人員陪同你和孩子參觀并介紹的過程中，便可充分地了解該幼兒園。參觀期間可以思考下列問題：

Do I feel welcome here?

Does my child seem interested in what they have to offer?

Do the children in the setting seem happy?

How do the adults and children interact?

Is the setting clean and safe?

You should also come to the visit prepared with questions. Some of the basic questions parents ask are:

What is the turnover rate for staff members?

What percentage of the staff hold degrees in early childhood?

How does the setting handle discipline?

What are the safety procedures for picking up and dropping off children?

Is the setting accredited?

What are the payment options and procedures?

這兒的員工熱情嗎？

孩子對幼兒園提供的東西感興趣嗎？

在校的孩子們快樂嗎？

老師和孩子們是如何相處的？

該幼兒園清潔安全嗎？

你應該帶著問題參觀幼兒園。下列是家長通常問及的一些問題：

老師的流動率有多高？

獲得學前教育學位的老師占比多少？

該幼兒園如何處理紀律問題？

接送孩子的安全規章是什么？

該幼兒園有資格認證嗎？

繳費的選擇和程序有哪些？

Some parents feel more comfortable going to the visit with a checklist of questions they would like answered.Parents should not feel like they need to ask every question on the checklist,however, using a checklist is a great way to make note of your observations during the visit so you can compare settings afterward.

有些家長覺得參觀時帶上一份他們想要了解的問題清單會更踏實。家長可能覺得不需要詢問清單上的每個問題，但是，在探訪過程中，清單的使用便于記錄自己的所見所感，為之后的比較做好準備。

Remember, choosing the best preschool for your child does not have to be an overwhelming task. Successful parents go into the process aware, informed and ready to ask questions. Being prepared will make the process eff icient, effective and meaningful for you and your child. ■

請記住，為孩子選擇最好的幼兒園并非困難重重。做得好的家長會探究流程，獲取信息，時刻準備提問。對于家長和孩子而言，提前做好準備將會讓擇園進程更高效、更有意義。 □

Recommended Books for Preschoolers

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

This Judith Viorst book is unique in the sense that it doesn’t resolve with a nice little gift-wrapped ending on the last page. It merely accounts the end of a pretty lousy day that Alexander had; one that involves getting gum in his hair, not having dessert in his lunch sack, a cavity at the dentist, and kissing on television. The cynical amongst us can point to this book and say that it is a perfect lesson that shows kids that not every day is going to be filled with rainbows, lollipops, and the sunshine. The rest can just sit back and enjoy how it perfectly captures the spirit of a little boy that just wants to put a crummy day behind him, one rambling run-on sentence at a time. Be forewarned: The book may make you want to plan a trip to Australia.