How to Choose the Best Private Preschool for Your Child

What Families in the Inland Empire and the Foothill Communities Should Look For

When parents search for the “best private preschool,” they are often hoping to find a simple answer: a ranking, a recommendation, or one school that checks every box. But choosing a preschool is much more personal than that.

There are certainly differences in quality among preschool programs. Teacher experience, class size, safety, facilities, curriculum, and accreditation all matter. But the best preschool is ultimately the one that is the best fit for your child and your family.

Here are some things to consider as you begin your search.

1. Start With the Type of Preschool Experience You Want

Not all preschools are designed around the same goals or philosophy. Before comparing schools, think about what you hope your child will gain from the experience.

Preschool options in our area include:

• Private independent schools, which may offer preschool as the beginning of a larger educational program
• Nursery or play-based schools, with an emphasis on socialization, safety, exploration, and free play
• Academic preschools, which incorporate a planned curriculum and structured learning alongside developmentally appropriate play
• Montessori programs, often emphasizing independence, hands-on materials, and child-directed learning
• Faith-based preschools, which incorporate religious beliefs or values into the school experience
• Parent Co-op schools, where families are required to participate directly in operating or supporting the classroom
• Day care or child care centers, often designed around the needs of working families and extended-day care
• Public, Head Start, recreation, and other community-based programs

There are also educational philosophies such as Reggio Emilia, HighScope, and Waldorf, each with its own approach to how young children learn.

No philosophy is automatically “best.” Ask yourself whether the school's approach fits your child's personality and learning style. Does your child thrive with routines and structure? Prefer extended imaginative play? Love working independently? Seek lots of interaction with other children?

2. Look Closely at the Teachers

Buildings and playgrounds are easy to notice on a tour. Teacher quality can be harder to evaluate—and may be much more important.

Ask about the education and experience of the people who will actually be with your child each day.

In California, licensing standards establish minimum educational qualifications for preschool teachers. A teacher may begin working with six qualifying college units in early childhood education or child development while continuing coursework; a fully qualified preschool teacher generally has 12 units plus specified experience or an approved credential or permit.

Those are minimum licensing standards, not necessarily the level of experience a family wants.

Ask how many teachers have degrees in early childhood education, child development, education, or related fields. How long have they been teaching preschool? How long do teachers typically stay at the school?

There is a meaningful difference between meeting the minimum requirement to supervise a preschool classroom and building a career around understanding how young children develop.

3. Consider Class Size, Safety, and the Environment

Licensing provides an important baseline. California regulates licensed child care centers in areas including capacity, staffing, health, safety, and physical facilities. But families should look beyond compliance.

How many children are actually in your child's classroom? How many adults are consistently present? Is the campus secure? Is there enough room for children to run, climb, create, rest, and get messy?

Accreditation can provide another useful quality indicator because it adds an outside review process beyond basic licensing requirements. NAEYC, for example, maintains national quality standards and an accreditation system for early learning programs. There are very few NAEYC accredited preschools in the Foothill Communities, so securing a spot in one of them is highly sought after. 

4. Pay Attention to the Community

This factor is sometimes overlooked, but it matters. Who will your child's classmates be?

Preschool friendships can become family friendships. You may spend several years attending birthday parties, playdates, school events, and weekend activities with these families. Does the community feel welcoming? Do you see families whose attitudes and values are compatible with your own? Does the school expose your child to people, cultures, experiences, and perspectives that will help broaden their world?

You aren't just choosing a classroom. In many cases, you're choosing your child's first community outside your family.

5. Think About Your Real Life, Too

A wonderful preschool that makes everyday family life impossible probably isn't the perfect preschool for you. Consider practical questions:

• Is it close enough to home or work?
• Are before-school or after-school options available?
• Is lunch included?
• What expenses are not included in tuition?
• What is the school's policy for children who are still toilet learning?
• Does the school calendar work with your family's schedule?
   

6. Ask What Comes Next

Preschool isn't only about where your child will spend the next year. Ask what comes next.  Does the school offer transitional kindergarten? If not, where do most students go after preschool? Does the curriculum intentionally prepare children for kindergarten while still respecting how young children learn?

Also ask about the school's larger mission.  At Foothill Country Day School, for example, preschool is the beginning of a preschool-through-eighth-grade educational experience. The curriculum includes social-emotional development, literacy and language readiness, math and science, creative arts, physical development, structured activities, cultural learning, communication, cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution.

Those goals connect to Foothill's larger emphasis on developing ambitious, compassionate, and courageous leaders. Even at the preschool level, leadership is nurtured. It begins with learning to communicate, listen to others, show kindness, take initiative, cooperate, understand different perspectives, and become increasingly independent.

And yes—it should still look like preschool. Much of that learning happens through play, conversation, stories, projects, exploration, and experiences carefully designed by teachers.

7. Most Important: Visit While Children Are There

A website can tell you what a school believes. A tour can show you whether it actually happens. Whenever possible, visit during a normal school day. Don't look only at the classrooms and playground. Watch the people.

How do teachers speak to children? Do they kneel down to their level? Do they seem to genuinely enjoy being with them? What happens when a child is upset or doesn't follow directions?

And look at the children's faces. Are they busy? Curious? Comfortable? Talking? Laughing? Creating? Exploring?

Ask about behavioral guidance, parent communication, technology and screen use, field trips, cultural experiences, enrichment activities, meals, and the daily schedule. Read online reviews too—but use them as one piece of a much larger picture.

Ultimately, you'll want to ask yourself one simple question: Can I picture my child happy, growing, and becoming more confident here?

When the answer is yes, you may have found the perfect preschool—for your child.

Want to learn more about Foothill Country Day School?

Foothill Country Day School is a preschool through 8th grade school in Claremont California. Founded in 1954 by Howell Webb as a private independent school, Foothill offers the best education in the Inland Empire. We are educating the next generation of society's leaders in an environment of inclusivity and respect for all cultures. No matter what their talents, or what paths our students choose, they have the tools to become leaders. Get to know Foothill on our website and on Facebook & Instagram.