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Your child’s elementary school will set up the foundation for the rest of his or her academic life. With so many options to choose from–public; private; parochial; same-gender–it’s difficult to determine what is the best decision for your child.

Here’s seventeen steps to help get you through the process, from school selection to enrollment.

1. Explore how your child learns. Take a look at your child’s personality, temperament, and learning style. Is your child a visual or auditory learner? Find a school that builds upon your child’s strengths. Ask schools about class sizes and find out what would be most socially ideal, based on if your child thrives in larger or smaller groups.
2. Explore the educational philosophy that reflects your child’s learning process. There are different approaches to education; for example, a Montessori school encourages students to pursue their own interests, while Waldorf schools are against the use of technology (but highly encourage the arts.)
3. Communicate with the faculty. Once you have found a school that fits your child’s learning style, talk to teachers, administrators, and parents of children enrolled in the school. This will help you get a better idea whether or not this group of adults will steer your child’s education in the right direction.
4. Find out how the school handles grades. If you’re comfortable with the faculty, the next step is to find out how they handle academic progress. You want to make sure your child’s potential is challenged. Are the students at the school actively engaged in the learning process?
5. Ask about the school’s extra-curricular activities. Does the school offer any of the following: art; dance; science; music; sports; language programs? Are there extra-curricular activities to stimulate your child’s interests? A school that only focuses on the core programs does not offer as much potential for a growing elementary school student.
6. Investigate the school’s performance. Look at how the school fairs on standardized tests versus other potential schools in the area. Do the students meet the state standards? Do they excel over the standards?
7. Ask about the student:teacher ratio. Large classrooms often have multiple instructors or teacher aids. Find out how much individual attention every child receives when they are not in the middle of group projects that stimulate the social environment of the classroom.
8. Address any special needs your child needs. If your child is disabled or needs other special needs, is the school more than willing to accommodate? If your child falls behind, is there tutoring services available? How does the school’s nursing look if something ever happens to your child on-campus?
9. Look into family involvement. Schools are usually tight-budgeted, which means they welcome family involvement with open arms. See if there’s something you can do to become more involved in the school; and if there’s anything other parents already do.
10. Consider the child’s environment. Are the bathrooms clean? Does the playground have a variety of things to occupy the children? Is there a welcoming school library? Are there any other resources available to stimulate the creativity of your child?
11. Ask yourself if you have a personal preference getting in the way of your child. Now that you’ve analyzed the school thoroughly, consider if you have a personal bias against/for public/private schools. Your child’s education should ultimately come down to what is right for them; not what was right for you when you were in school.
12. Make sure you’re local or otherwise available to the school’s area. Now you’re in the enrollment process. Some schools may require you to live in the local district in order to attend, so moving might be in order if you’ve set your mind on a far-away campus.
13. Enter any lotteries necessary. If you are trying to enroll your child into a magnet school, enter the lottery required; or, alternatively, the entrance exam your child will have to take.
14. Prepare yourself for the admissions interview. You want to let the school know you’ve done your research and believe this school is right for your child. If your child is not accepted after this interview, that means it wasn’t the right fit.
15. Participate in the school. Now that you know about family involvement at the school, actively participate in the school’s activities. Fill a niche that is not currently handled by the other parents/needs help.
16. Follow through with your child’s application. Make sure to check up on your child’s application so the school knows your continued interest.
17. Make learning a lifelong experience for your child. When your child leaves school, make sure to continue to stimulate your child’s learning experience outside of campus. Play chess, visit museums, and help with homework. This will ultimately increase your child’s experience in school and improve the lifelong learning experience they have throughout the end of high school/college.

Any additional advice on how parents can approach enrolling their child in the best elementary school? Questions? Feel free to discuss!