Any American child should get a good education, but even in a child’s early years, such as ages three to five, good day care centers, preschools, and summer fun camps can do a lot of good for them. A young boy or girl may be enrolled at a local half day preschool or an academic preschool, or even a day care if that is more appropriate. When parents move to a new area, or when their young son or daughter becomes old enough for preschool, they may look online and also make use of friends and family as reference. Many middle class families and others with a comfortable level of income may find a preschool near them, and an online search such as “how to pick a preschool” may be a fine way to start. How often do American children aged three to five enroll in preschools or day care centers for some summer fun and a rudimentary education?
Who Goes to Preschool For Summer Fun
A young child may go to a preschool or a day care for some summer fun and education, and statistics are being to see which children from which backgrounds most often go to childcare centers. Enrollment rates are growing, and the percentage of three or four-year-olds n preprimary programs in 2013 (42% and 68% respectively) represented significant growth from the year 1990, when the rates were 33% and 56%, respectively. Much of this enrollment growth took place between the years 1990 and 2000, and the growth rate continued between 2000 and 2012 but had slowed down somewhat. It may be interesting to note that the enrollment rates for five-year-olds in preprimary schools actually dropped in that time frame, although the drop was a shallow one. The rate decreased modestly from 89% in 1990 to 84% in 2013, and the decrease rate was very shallow from 2012 to 2013.
Overall, some three in four young American children take part in preschool or daycare for summer fun, and the exact percentage rates vary among demographics. For all children aged three to six, 63.5% of Caucasian (white, non-Hispanic) were enrolled in such schools, and the same is true for 68.4% of black, non-Hispanic children. The percentage is also 68.4% of American children of Asian descent, and the rates are lowest for Hispanic children, at 51.9% or so. Overall, preschools are growing, and this also means a higher demand for their schools (most often women). With a growing demand for early childhood education, employment of preschool teachers is due to grow 10% or so from 2016 to 2026, which is in fact faster than the average of all occupations. How might parents find these good preschools for their young ones?
Finding the School
Parents who move to a new area, or those whose young children are now old enough for preschool, may start looking online for good preschools and day care centers, especially if they don’t have personal references to rely upon. The parents will want to get a list of local schools for children of this age, and a search query may be along the lines of “good preschools in Boston MA” or “primary schools in Dallas TX”. The parents’ ZIP code may also be used to find something local. Such a search will yield a whole list of candidate schools, and the parents may start narrowing down that list. Schools deemed too far away to too expensive (or rated low online) may be taken off the list right away. Meanwhile, parents may visit the other schools, and even bring their children along with them for those visits.
The parents will observe the school firsthand and evaluate how well funded it is, and the parents will also consult the staff there and find out the credentials and experience of the teachers. And while the young son or daughter won’t ask for the staff’s credentials, they may determine if a school and its staff are comfortable for them. If a school’s premises or the staff frighten or agitate the child, then clearly, it is a poor candidate, and can be removed from the list. A good school will be well-funded and staffed with qualified experts, and the child will like it there too.