{"id":238320,"date":"2022-11-15T18:24:44","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T18:24:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buoyantbloomer.com\/?p=238320"},"modified":"2022-12-05T18:40:42","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T18:40:42","slug":"kindergarten-school-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buoyantbloomer.com\/kindergarten-school-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 insightful things to look for on a kindergarten school tour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A kindergarten school tour (preferably in-person) gives you the inside scoop on what the school stands for, what kind of families you’ll encounter (+ whether you fit in), and a portal into what older kids are capable of doing if they continue with that school. It takes time to do in-person tours, but having completed dozens of virtual visits last year and having completed at least a dozen in-person ones so far (the season isn’t over), I can reassure you that there is nothing like the in-person visit. I love the convenience of the virtual ones, and they are 100% better than making a decision in a vacuum. If you can though, make the effort to go in person, then look for these five things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kindergarten school tour giveaway #1: how did the commute during rush hour make you feel?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may just be a mile away but is that mile uphill? What will you do if inclement weather is forecast for that whole week (heat advisory, snowfall)? How is your mental health when you get into the office? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it feels like a cop out, but do not underestimate the effort it will take you to get to your chosen school, and factor in that burden into your decision making. A constantly grumpy parent is never desirable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are the kids playing together or engaging with each other?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The in-person kindergarten school tour gives you an indicator of whether the kids want to be in the classroom and if the teacher is doing a good job engaging them. Virtual tours cannot show you body language and how much energy is expended on discipline or classroom management (which is inevitable, but also takes away from instruction time). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, you want to know if the kids are happy and allowed to be kids. Some schools will have intense academic standards they push for – these all seem great until you see that kids are overwhelmed by the work load while in class. Imagine what homework is like at home without the additional support and consider if you actually want to be the homework police for your 5 year old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro tip: make the most of your kindergarten tour by peeping on what kids in older grades are doing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just because you’re on a kindergarten school tour doesn’t mean you can’t see other grades in action – and spoiler alert! – you should! This gives you a sense of the rigor and curriculum that’s being implemented, as well as how it compares to other schools in your neighborhood. Tour a variety of schools and try to always visit the same grades – the one your child is entering, and one that is towards the end of a student’s career at that school (for kindergarten, I recommend 4th or 5th grades). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is the school measuring success? Are there year-end benchmarks kids have to hit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One kindergarten school tour I went on imparted valuable information that wasn’t anywhere on the website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n