Selecting a school is a wonderful opportunity to match your child's personality and abilities with just the right environment. Figuring out the elements that go into this decision can be challenging. Here is a common-sense checklist...
1. Assess the needs of your child.
| Structure | How much structure does your child need? |
| Challenge | How challenging of an environment does your child need? |
| Environment | Are there environments where your child does better than others? |
| Language | Does your child have special language requirements? |
| Special Needs | Does your child have special learning, social, or emotional needs? |
| Learning Style | How does your child learn best (e.g., hearing, reading, doing)? |
| Social Interaction | How does your child interact best (e.g., individual, small groups, big groups)? |
| Activity Level | What activity level does your child need? |
| Special Interests | Does your child have special interests (artistic, musical, mathematical, etc.)? |
2. Determine the child's grade.
| Level | Grades | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High School | 9-12 | 14-18 | |
| Middle School | 6-8 | 11-13 | It can be a separate school or part of an elementary school. |
| Elementary School | 1-6 | 6-10 | |
| Kindergarten | K2 | 5 | Kindergarten as preparation for school |
| Pre-Kindergarten | K1 | 4 | Prepares for Kindergarten |
| Pre-Kindergarten | K0 | 3 | Like pre-school |
3. Select the type of school you would like.
| Day School | Students live at home and attend school during the day. |
| Boarding School | Students live at school. |
4. Decide about unique styles of education.
| Montessori School | Emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural development. |
| Waldorf School | Emphasizes the role of imagination in learning and integrating the intellectual, practical, and artistic development of pupils. |
| Religious School | Integrates education with religious values such as Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and other religions. |
| Special Education School | For students with special needs |
5. Other important factors
| Tuition | Tuition range you are willing to pay |
| Academics | What kind of academic level do you expect? |
| Size | What size of school would be ideal? |
| Distance | How far from your home is the school? |
6. Visit schools and observe
| Facilities | The type and quality of the facility |
| Athmosphere | Are students happy and courteous? |
| Welcoming parents | Are parents welcomed by the staff? |
| Books and supplies | Quantity and quality of books and supplies. |
| Security | Is access controlled? |
| Class Sizes | How large are the classes? |
| Student Work | How is student work displayed? |
| Respect | Is there a sense of mutual respect? |
| Orderly and Neat | Is the environment orderly and neat? |
| Parent Communications | How does the school communicate with parents? |
| Parent Involvement | How are parents involved in school? |
