Before the School Search: Decide What Matters Most to Your Child and Family

Step 1: Consider your child’s learning needs and preferences.

Create a “wish list” of what you want a school to provide. This section will help you define your child’s learning style and any special needs or abilities he or she has.

My child needs:

A structured environment.

A loosely structured environment.

Challenging school work.

Individualized attention.

Extra help and/or more time to complete assignments and tests.

An environment that fosters creativity.

Other: ______________________________________________

My child learns best:

By seeing how things work.

By reading about how something works.

By listening.

By doing hands-on work and physical activity.

My child likes to:

Participate in class discussions.

Learn in groups.

Work alone.

My child has special gifts/abilities and/or challenges. He/she:

Has special learning needs, including: __________________________________________

Needs an English language acquisition program.

Is exceptionally logical and/or mathematical.

Has strong verbal and writing skills.

Is musical and/or artistic.

Is very athletic and needs a good sports program.

Other ________________________________________________

Step 2: Consider your family’s values, budget, and logistics.

This section will help you think through some of the practical matters that are important to you and your family when it comes to choosing a school.

Your Family’s Religious and Cultural Values

We want our child’s school to:

Provide religious instruction and worship in our faith.

Offer study and activities that celebrate our culture.

Close on our religious holidays (or allow our child to be absent).

Financial Matters

If we consider private schools, how much tuition can we afford? _______________________________________

What scholarships and loans are available? ________________________________________________

What can we afford to pay for school uniforms, sports and performing arts fees, lab fees etc. (at private or public schools)? _______________________________________

School Schedule, Location, and Transportation

I have a (younger or older) child in another school, so I want this child’s school to have the same schedule of holidays and vacations.

I want my child to go to school within walking distance of our home.

My child wants to go to school with his/her neighborhood friends.

I want my child to go to a school near after-school care? ________  Near where I work? ________  Near a relative? _______________________________________

How far are you willing to have your child take the school bus or public transportation? ____________________________________________

How far are you willing to drive your child to school? _____________________________________________

Does your child have any special transportation needs? ___________________________________________

For reference:  Selecting a School for Your Child