Tell Us: What Do you Look For When Picking Out a Preschool?

When it comes to finding the right preschool for your child, what kind of qualities do you look for?

Full day or half day? What sort of program? What makes the difference when you go to an open house or to tour the school?

Coming up in March, the East Bay Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools will host its 64th annual convention which brings together an exciting collection of experts to explore a wide range of ideas and skills for educators and parents of preschool-aged children.

Readers have shared that Rockridge boasts some great preschools. Listed below are half a dozen of them along with the latest reviews listed on the Berkeley Parents Network.

• Claremont Day Nurseries

"The teachers are incredibly warm and nurturing, real gems. We like that the school provides lunch and snacks, not just for the convenience but because it has caused our picky-eater child to try new foods. The only drawback is that we feel that we haven't gotten to know the other families there and that the school doesn't do much to foster relationships among the families in a given class. Most importantly though, our son really does enjoy his time there and is thriving in the supportive environment his teachers create for him."

• Giggles Preschool

All 3 of my daughters have attended Giggles preschool in Rockridge and have enjoyed it there. But especially the teachers. Two of them had major separation anxiety issues but the teachers are so helpful in the departure and are so loving and warm. I was always reassured by a phone call later that she was distracted as soon as I left and at pick up there are always smiles and loving goodbyes. The 7 year olds loved their teachers and the youngest who has one more year, is also enjoying each one of her teachers.

• My Own Montessori

My son, now 6 and in kindergarten, went there for two years. He thrived in their environment. It is a wonderful blend of Montessori with the ability to play freely as well. They have a great outdoor space that is open to the children to use whenever they want. Many schools have structured indoor time and outdoor time and I really like that kids at M.O.M. can decide for themselves whether they want to do ''work'' inside or play on the play structure or ride around in the vehicles, or use the art room or whatever fits for their mood at the time. The ''work'' that they do is amazing. They have a different theme every year and last year the theme was geography. My son brought home amazing maps of all of the continents that he made. Even though he is almost through his first year of kindergarten the maps still hold a prominent place on his walls. He is so proud of them and he learned so much about the world during that year.The teachers are very warm and caring and knowledgeable about how to work with each child to bring out the best in them and help them navigate their world.

• Rockridge Little School

My son started at RLS in the Monkey Room (3 year olds) last year and has thrived there. He has made great friends with both the teachers and children alike. The school has been a happy and inspiring place for him with lots of creative art, science and craft projects to choose from. They also have wonderful music and movement classes that our son really enjoys. The teachers really connect with the kids and seem to truly love their work.

• Rockridge Montessori School

We are looking at Rockridge Montessori and another school and we like both mainly for 1) indoor/outdoor facility 2) proximity to our house (walking distance). We are drawn to Rockridge Montessori for the curriculum but are a little concerned about how our very active and talkative daughter will do in their relatively subdued environment. At the same time, we are concerned that play-based programs like School B will not offer her enough ''intellectual'' stimulation to be able to foster her knack for learning (at 2 1/2 she reads all the letters of the written alphabet and written numbers to 10, etc).

• Room to Grow Preschool

The teachers at The Room to Grow encourage child led activities, allow for each child to be an individual while at the same time teaching the kids how to play and work together. What really helped my son was that in the afternoons and on Fridays, it was a much smaller group. I needed full time care, but about half the kids are there part time Mon through Thurs 9-3pm. The afternoons and Fridays are generally more mellow times. Don't be put off by the somewhat small outdoor space. they use the space very well, and my son did better with a more confined area. The teachers are right there with the kids. the have a garden, great loft area, wonderful art teacher, cooking, etc. They embrace all kids and don't back away from boys with big energy. 

Do you have a child that attends one or has in the past? What do/did you like best about it? Tell us in the comments section below.