When and how should parents sign up their children for schools? Dr. Suzanne Bouffard, author of The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of Our Children, says that the pre-kindergarten year sets the tone for the quality of schooling that student will experience for the rest of their lives.

Some studies show that pre-K programs do not help students, but Dr. Bouffard says these programs are not created equally, and parents must look carefully to distinguish a high-quality program that will help students with lifelong learning from the rest. Some things to look for are the relationship between students and teachers and the balance of time spent on academic subjects and time designated for play. The activities in the room should also be age-appropriate, and students should have plenty of activities to choose from.

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