At The International Montessori School of Vietnam, we understand that choosing the right kindergarten for your child is a very important decision. Finding a school that matches your child’s needs creates a positive and happy foundation for the rest of your child’s education journey.
However, when you start to research schools there are many things to consider. And in Ho Chi Minh City there are so many schools to choose from! To help you feel confident that you have chosen the right kindergarten /nursery, here are 5 top tips from MIS.
1. Talk to other parents
Researching a kindergarten / nursery online is convenient but it can also be overwhelming. A google search for ‘kindergarten HCMC’ provides 137,000 results. A search for ‘international school Ho Chi Minh City’ provides 7,630,000! Some results are paid for, some are not accurate. So how are you supposed to know which ones to trust?
Luckily, you probably know people already who can help you narrow down your search. If you talk to your friends, your colleagues and your neighbours you are likely to hear honest reviews about the schools their kids go to. After hearing their comments, you can start to select the schools that might be suitable for you.
If you are relocating to Ho Chi Minh City from abroad or from elsewhere in Vietnam, you can reach out to friendly social network groups to ask for their comments. For example, Female Expats and Locals in Ho Chi Minh City is a friendly group to join with many members keen to offer advice on a variety of subjects.
Remember, of course that every child has different needs so you may not find the perfect choice just from talking to friends. But by getting honest feedback from people that you trust, you can certainly make your task much easier!
2. Think about travelling to and from school.
Now that you have a smaller list of schools to think about, you can start to be more selective.
Although travel time to and from school is not the most important thing to think about, the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is something that can affect whether you have a good day or a bad day! If you are responsible for taking your child to and from school each day, the journey can soon become a very unenjoyable task. Of course, many schools offer transportation, which can remove this problem. But again, we suggest that you minimise travel time where possible to make sure that transfers between home and school are as efficient as they can be.
If you live in District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City both the MIS Thao Dien campus and The River House campus are conveniently located in Thao Dien. This means they manage to avoid too much traffic at peak times. Across the highway, MIS Binh An is also well situated to avoid traffic at peak times for those of you living in An Phu or close to the Hanoi Highway.
We also offer a school bus service, meaning that surrounding areas are reached easily. reachable. If you live in Binh Thanh District or District 1 this may be a suitable choice for you. However, if you prefer to drive, both of these areas are just a 15 – 25 drive from MIS campuses even at rush hour.
3. Find a school that is suitable for your child’s character.
When you first look for a kindergarten/ nursery school, you will see that there are many different curriculums and teaching styles. Some schools will have a very structured teaching style. Others will offer more freedom.
If your child prefers to have direct attention and communication, you should look at schools where teachers are heavily involved with the work.
If your child enjoys learning independently, you should look at schools that have more flexible curriculums and class activities.
At MIS we follow the Montessori Method. This means your child is encouraged to explore and learn independently. Teachers act as guides to help students discover and learn on their own.
For a more information about the Montessori method and curriculum at MIS click here
4. Think about what is important to you.
We understand that your child’s needs come first, but you should also think about what you are looking for from a school. For example, do you want your child to learn about art and music? Is it important for your child to learn another language? Do you want to receive regular progress updates from the teachers?
If your child requires additional support, you should not feel shy about asking the school how they plan to provide for them. It is important to find out if a kindergarten / nursery has qualified staff available to assist students who need extra help. By finding a school that is able to satisfy your needs, you can be sure that they are able to satisfy your child’s!
At the Montessori International School of Vietnam our teachers are all certified by international providers and are well experienced in providing for the individual needs of a child. If you would like further information, please contact us.
5. Make a visit to your top schools.
Don’t feel shy about asking a school if you can visit. At MIS we welcome parents to come and look around! We know that seeing the school in an important step to make sure you are choosing the right kindergarten for your child.
Firstly, it is a good idea to visit the school without your child. This will give you an opportunity to talk with the teachers, get answers to your questions and take a tour of the campus without worrying that your child is bored.
If a solo visit is successful, then you can plan a visit to the school with your child. This is a great way for you to learn more about the day-to-day experience that your child will have. You can see their reaction to the school and how they fit in the environment.
If possible, try to experience ‘outside time’ on your visit. Each kindergarten / nursery should have a time each day when students can play and explore outside. If you can see your child play with other students, you can see exactly how they will fit in at the school. You can also use ‘outside time’ to check if you are satisfied with the safety measures that the school uses and how your child is cared for.
At the Montessori International School of Vietnam, outdoor time is an essential part of the school day. Our students are always well supervised and the equipment and toys that they use are well maintained and managed. If you would like to visit any of the MIS campuses, please contact us at (+84) 28 3744 2639 / 0822 040 033 or email [email protected] and we will be happy to arrange an appointment.
We hope that these top tips have made the task of choosing a kindergarten / nursery school a little easier. If you still have questions or would like more information about anything mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact us.