Is There Such a Thing As the "Right" Kindergarten?

For most parents and children, kindergarten marks the beginning of "real" school. Even though many kids have already spent two—or even three—years in preschool, most "graduate" to kindergarten either in their local public school or in a private school. Because going off to kindergarten is such a big step, parents often devote a great deal of time and energy to researching schools in an effort to find the "right" kindergarten for their child.

But is there such a thing as one right, or best, kindergarten? The short answer is no. Not only will different types of kindergartens be better suited to some kids than others, but every child has the potential to flourish in any number of different kindergartens. The key is figuring out what's important to you as a parent, both in the short and long terms, and then looking at programs that provide what you're looking for and also seem like good matches for your particular child's personality and needs.

It's important to keep in mind that kindergarten choice may affect your child's school placement later on—not because of educational factors per se, but because many private schools start in kindergarten and have only limited openings in subsequent years.

Similarly, in public school districts that allow school choice—that don't restrict attendance to students living only within particular neighborhood boundaries—enrolling in kindergarten is often easier because there are more openings. Moreover, once a student who resides elsewhere in the district attends such a school, he or she can usually (though not always) continue there, without having to return to the local school if an unusually large number of new children move into the neighborhood school's boundaries somewhere down the line.

Aside from such pragmatic longer-term considerations, though, finding a good kindergarten for your child really means relinquishing the notion that there is only one, best choice. Although some options truly will be better fits, both in terms of your child's personality and your educational goals and philosophy, no one kindergarten will be "perfect," even though sometimes it may seem that way. An open-minded and flexible attitude will go a long way toward ensuring that both you and your child end up happy with your kindergarten choice.