Choosing a School

In order to find the best school for your child, you should begin by observing your child's learning habits. Even as preschoolers, children begin to develop different approaches to learning. These inclinations provide strong clues about what kind of school would serve them best. In her book Your Child's First School, educational consultant Diana Townsend-Butterworth offers these suggestions of things to watch for in determining your child's orientation to learning:

• What does your child enjoy doing?
• What excites your child and arouses his or her curiosity?
• What seems to be frustrating?
• Does your child thrive in a structured environment or seem to prefer one that offers more freedom?
• Is your child quiet or rambunctious?
• Does he or she prefer to work on projects alone or with other children?
• Does he or she have any special interests or abilities?

For high school, parents often choose a new school for their children. This is frequently because their current school goes only through eight grade. As you look for a high school, consider your child's learning style as well as his or her interests when deciding upon a school. Also keep in mind your own family goals, which may involve preparing for college, in making this important choice.

What about family expectations? In order to provide a good match, a child's school must also meet a familyıs needs. Here again, you may want to prepare a list of expectations and use it as a guide in the search for the best school for your child:

• What goal do you have for your childıs long-term education? Is college preparation a priority?
• How important to you is parental involvement in school activities?
• Do you expect the school to have a role in developing a childıs character by encouraging respect for adults and peers as well as others in society, including the disadvantaged?
• How important is it to you that you have a strong relationship and share a philosophy with other parents at the school?
• How interested are you in providing a home setting that gives your child time for homework?
• How important to you is a before-school and after-school program?

The importance of parental involvement Independent schools believe parents should have a strong role in their children's education. Being involved in a childıs education strengthens the whole family and sends a message to children that education is an important part of their lives. Independent schools know that the way in which parents choose to become active in their children's schools varies greatly. These schools provide many different opportunities for parental involvement. Most schools have strong parent associations that organize social events, help coordinate volunteer activities, and provide an organizes means of communication between parents and school.

Each of these encounters strengthens the life of the schools and creates a community of committed adults supporting the goals of the schools and the students. This feeling of community, with adults and students working together for a common purpose, is one of the distinguishing strengths of independent schools.