At home, you take all the extra steps necessary to make sure your child is safe and healthy. Especially when they first attend preschool, it can make you a bit apprehensive. Knowing there are high standards for classroom safety and cleanliness in the preschool will make you feel more comfortable about leaving your child at preschool.
Of course, every child will experience the usual bumps, bruises, sniffles and sneezes from time to time, but keeping them to a minimum should be the goal. When choosing a preschool, you want to select one that takes all the precautions you take yourself. It is important to ask the preschool administrator “How does your staff make certain safety and cleanliness is a top priority in the classroom?”
Enforcing Safety Rules
It is beneficial for every child to have clear rules and regulations to keep them safe in the classroom. Consistently enforcing these will create a sense of safety for both the child and the parents.
Children need to know not to run inside and why. Understanding that they could trip or fall and hurt themselves will make it easier to enforce this rule.
Children need to be taught that expressing their feelings in a physical manner such as hitting or kicking will not be tolerated. Teaching children to use the right words to express their feelings, eliminating physical expression, will reduce the chance of injuries.
In addition to keeping them safe in the classroom, it will improve their social skills, making it easier to fit in and get along with others.
Classroom Environment
Classroom arrangement plays a large part in classroom safety. Are classrooms open and uncluttered, with nothing to inhibit safe traffic flow?
Large pieces of furniture and sharp corners increase the chances of bumps and bruises. The classroom should be set up in a way where children can move about easily without obstacles.
Both toys and furniture should be in good condition. Furniture in disrepair or broken toys with jagged edges have the potential to cause harm. If something is broken or not working properly it should be repaired or replaced.
There should be no blind spots or areas where children can easily hide in the classroom. This will allow the teacher and teacher’s aides to keep an eye on the children and provide constant supervision.
Classroom Supervision
Children are easily distracted and something outside the classroom may attract their attention.
Rules about not leaving the classroom without permission should be in place and strictly enforced. Children should only leave the classroom in the company of the teacher, a staff member or a parent.
While it may seem a bit excessive, taking frequent head counts is great way to increase the efficiency of classroom supervision. Making counting the children a group activity will reinforce the importance of everyone being present and working together.
Continual supervision not only allows the teacher and aides to know where all the children are and what they are doing. This can be beneficial in anticipating any trouble and enable them to step in to prevent any physical conflict.
Classroom Safety and Cleanliness
If you put a bunch of children in a classroom together there are bound to be germs and common childhood illnesses shared but with proper standards of cleanliness followed, these too can be kept to a minimum.
Children touch everything. Toys, classroom furniture and any other classroom facilities should be cleaned and disinfected regularly. This can significantly reduce the spread of germs.
Children can play an active part in classroom cleanliness by washing their hands frequently. They can also alert the teacher or aides to any spills that may happen, so they may be cleaned up promptly. This can help avoid slips and falls.
Also, make sure there are first aid kits available and properly stocked. The entire staff should have completed First Aid Training and be CPR Certified.
While these are just a brief overview of some of the things to look for when choosing a preschool, be sure that strong policies and procedures that ensure your child’s health and safety are in place and adhered to consistently. Classroom safety and cleanliness should be a top priority.
When it comes to the health and welfare of your child, Home Away From Home Academy is at the forefront of prevention strategy. We have a nurse on the premise and our entire staff is certified in CPR and First Aid Training with an AED on site. The cleanliness of our facility and the extreme care and specific procedures used by each of the teachers in their classrooms. Contact us today and see that the health and safety of every child is our top priority.