One of the best resources available for getting input on preschools in your area are other parents. Ask around in your neighborhood, at play groups, at church, or at the park – anywhere there are moms and dads! Keep a list of parent-recommended schools (or look in the yellow pages or on the Internet for a listing of every school in your area). Many schools have web sites you can check out, and it’s worth doing. Make appointments with the preschools you’re interested in, and take a tour. Meet the teachers; if you like them, and if the children in their classrooms seem happy and content, chances are your child will like them too. Ask all the questions you can (more about that in a minute!) and make sure you get answers – beware of any sketchy or incomplete information. When you’ve found a school that you like, make one more appointment and take your child to sit in on a couple hours of the day. See how comfortable your child seems to feel, how well she participates in the designated activities, and how the teacher responds.