Choosing the best preschool for your child is a decision many parents agonize over. I know that I did. In writing this series I took my 3-year-old daughter, Mirai, to each of the schools to observe her behavior.
I was expecting Mirai to exhibit clear preferences, and I was amazed, truly amazed, when she didn't. She immediately found the strong points of each school we visited, and a frequent refrain in the days following each excursion was "Let's go back!" What my daughter was picking up on in each of these places was the fact that the teachers and children made her feel welcome.
As I examined each school, I took note of the quality and comfort of its indoor and outdoor facilities, the nutritional value of its snacks and lunches, whether emphasis was placed on activities inside the classroom or out, the proximity of local parks, and whether the teachers were creative and innovative.