"The term preschool refers to half-day programs with planned educational experiences aimed at enhancing the development of 2- to 5-year-olds." (Berk 1996)

When it comes to your children's educational environment, the teacher/child ratio plays a significant role in how well your children will learn. Since 1991, day-care centers or preschools have gradually increased the amount of hours they are open and the number of children they admit. However, the number of teachers has not increased at the same rate.

Every year more mothers and fathers are working, causing the number of children in day-care centers to soar. It is not unusual to walk into centers across the nation and find they are over- crowded. When day-care centers are overwhelmed, children ultimately suffer. It is important for day-care centers to consistently monitor the children in their care as well as to provide a significant number of interactions between children and teachers.

Teachers say that when ratios are appropriate, they can be more sensitive and take time to converse with their students. Keep in mind that even if the number of children is small, if the facility is small, it is still a potential problem. In a preschool or daycare, the number of children should be no greater than 18 or 20 per two teachers. These numbers should be even lower if the center serves special-needs children.

If you're considering a preschool for your young child to attend, remember this:

1) Make sure to ask the director of the preschool how many children are registered and how many trained teachers are on-site for every 10 preschoolers.

2) Routinely visit the preschool to check on the child/teacher ratios and emotional and physical climate.

3) Communicate regularly with your child's teacher, not only about your child but also about program changes, population increases and staff turnover.

4) Participate in your child's academic experiences by volunteering, going on field trips and participating in events.

Did you know? According to Parent Magazine, toddlers in full-time daycare with other toddlers receive an average of seven bites per year.