Educational Day Care Centers

A: "In a quality program, caregivers should be reading to kids, talking with them, and setting up activities that promote learning -- from finger painting to block building to dramatic play," says Parents adviser Kathleen McCartney, Ph.D., a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. If you don't see these kinds of activities, then it's wise to look for another program.

However, some centers are too academic for young children. "Be wary of programs that emphasize school-readiness skills, worksheets, and phonics," Dr. McCartney cautions. The best predictor of literacy -- which affects success in all areas -- is the size of a child's vocabulary, and that will come naturally if he's in an environment where adults frequently talk and read with the kids.

Copyright © 2004. Reprinted with permission from the July 2004 issue of Parents magazine.

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