10 Things Your Preschool Won't Tell You

Updated and adapted from the book, "1,001 Things They Won't Tell You: An Insider's Guide to Spending, Saving, and Living Wisely," by Jonathan Dahl and the editors of SmartMoney.

1. “Sure, we're licensed, but that doesn't mean we're any good.”

Over 80 percent of four-year-olds go to preschool these days—a big switch from 1990, when only 65 percent of them did, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). More working mothers and a wide acceptance of the benefits of early education have fostered the growth of preschools. But there's a downside: “Overall, the quality of preschools needs considerable improvement,” says Steve Barnett, director of NIEER.

One reason is that most state licensing requirements pertain to safety and health rather than quality. That means a school might take extra care to make sure the toilet bowl plunger isn't within a toddler's reach, but it might not require its teachers to have much education. In fact, some states don't require any academic degree to become a preschool teacher. So how do you find a good preschool for your toddler? One indicator of quality is whether a facility has received accreditation from an outside organization. The largest accrediting body for preschools is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). To find information on that group's requirements as well as a locator for accredited preschools, visit its web site at www.naeyc.org.

2. “Bus drivers make more than our teachers.”

The most pressing problem for preschools is hiring and keeping good teachers--and it's little wonder why. The average annual salary for a preschool teacher is $26,610, less than what a bus driver or a concierge makes, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The low pay is often reflected in the both the quality of the teachers hired and in staff retention. According to NAEYC, average teacher turnover at preschools is at least 30 percent annually.

How can a parent tell if a teacher is a modern-day Mister Rogers? In addition to looking for college degrees in early childhood development and years of experience, parents should observe teachers at work. One important factor is teacher to student ratio. NAEYC recommends one teacher for every nine three-year-olds.

3. “Learning the ABC s won't prepare your tot for kindergarten.”

Preschool used to be solely about sandboxes and finger painting. But more standardized testing in elementary schools, as well as anxious parents who think that learning the alphabet by age four will pave their tot's way to the Ivy League, has pushed academic preparation over more traditional kids' stuff. Today in preschools, in-class worksheets and memorization of letters and numbers, for example, are not uncommon. At the end of the day, however, preschoolers may not need as much academics as some parents might think. In fact, education experts say that overemphasizing academics at such an early stage can actually hamper a child's emotional and social development.

The skills kindergarten teachers are really looking for are those that enable academic learning, such as following directions or sitting attentively during story time. In light of that,parents should seek out a preschool that integrates the ABCs into playtime and encourages activities that engage the senses and emotions, which is how children learn best. A project that includes making lemonade, for example, could also involve lessons about measuring and counting.