What should I ask when touring a private preschool?
A preschool tour is an opportunity to look beyond the beautiful classroom and understand what your child’s everyday experience will actually be like. Consider asking these preschool tour questions in these areas:
About the classroom
- What does a typical day look like?
- How much time do children spend indoors and outdoors?
- How much of the day is teacher-directed versus child-directed?
- How are activities selected for individual children?
- How do you support children who learn or develop at different rates?
About the teachers
- What are the teachers’ qualifications and experience?
- How long have the teachers been at the school?
- How does the school maintain consistency when a teacher is absent?
- How do teachers handle conflict, frustration, and challenging behavior?
- How do teachers help children who are having difficulty separating from their parents?
About independence and development
- How do you encourage children to become independent?
- What responsibilities do children have in the classroom?
- How do you support social-emotional development?
- How do you prepare children for the next stage of development?
About Montessori, if applicable
- Is the school authentically Montessori?
- Are the teachers Montessori-trained?
- What Montessori materials and experiences are available to children?
- How are Montessori principles incorporated into the entire day rather than taught as a separate activity?
- How does the school balance individual choice with classroom expectations?
About language
- Is the program bilingual or language-enrichment based?
- How are additional languages incorporated into the day?
- How much exposure do children receive to each language?
- Are children expected to already speak the second language?
About communication and parent partnership
- How will I know how my child is doing?
- How do teachers communicate with parents?
- How are developmental concerns communicated?
- Are parents invited to participate in classroom or school activities?
About the practical details
- What are the school hours?
- What is included in tuition?
- What are the enrollment and re-enrollment policies?
- What is the teacher-to-child ratio?
- What happens when a child is sick?
- What are the school’s safety and emergency procedures?
- Is there a waiting list?
And perhaps the most important question to ask yourself during the tour is:
Do the children look happy, engaged, comfortable, and genuinely interested in what they are doing?
Pay attention to how teachers speak to children, whether children are treated with respect, whether the classroom feels calm and purposeful, and whether the adults seem to genuinely enjoy being with the children. Those observations can tell you as much about a preschool as its website or brochure.
For families touring La Jolla Montessori School, we encourage parents to ask questions, observe the classroom, meet the teachers, and consider whether our Montessori philosophy and bilingual environment are the right fit for their child. The best preschool is not simply the one with the longest list of features—it is the one where your child can feel secure, develop independence, build meaningful relationships, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
To schedule a tour so you can ask these preschool tour questions to see if La Jolla Montessori School is a good fit for your child: https://lajollamontessorischool.com/book-a-tour/