Child and Family Factors

You’ve learned a lot about the district options and have visited programs, narrowing your choices. What other factors are important to consider in selecting a school program?

• Your child’s needs and interests. Does your child need special resources that may not be available at every school? Does your child have special talents or interests that you want to promote and nurture at school? Is your child comfortable around a group of mixed age peers (some who might be a couple years older and/or younger) or would he or she be most comfortable with same-age classmates? Is your child a self-starter, one who will seek out learning opportunities without adult structure or close supervision? Or does your child need guidance, prompting, a set routine to follow in order to learn?

• Your family’s routines and preferences. Does it matter when school starts and ends relative to child care and parent schedules? In what programs are other children enrolled, and is it important that your children attend the same school(s)? Some school districts allow “sibling preference” –giving priority to placing children in the same schools as siblings.

• Convenience of location. Do you prefer that your child attend school close to home—to reduce travel time, increase convenience for attending school conferences or volunteering time at school, etc.? If you are considering a program that is farther away, will school transportation be provided or is it convenient for you to provide transportation?

• School philosophy. What school programs are the best fit to your view of schooling? Do you prefer a traditional approach to teaching—emphasizing teacher directed activities following a set curriculum? Do you prefer a setting that is more learner-directed, where children have more choices in their learning and activities and are expected to shoulder more responsibility for learning? Do you prefer a school program built around a focus area such as fine arts or technology? Do you want your child to be taught in an environment emphasizing a given culture and language, such as Spanish?

back - next

Parenting Start