Selecting Preschools

There are over 150 public pre-kindergarten programs as well as more than 150 private preschools and day care centers in the Greater Boston Area. They vary by cost, educational approach, size, religious affiliation and the number of hours and days they offer preschool programs. To identify which schools meet your needs, you will have to consider your child’s academic and social profile as well as your family’s academic goals and practical needs.This section explains the various educational philosophies to which the preschools adhere and the differences between public and private preschools.

Educational Philosophies

Although there are three main approaches to preschool education—Montessori, Developmental, and Traditional—there are many preschools that follow different educational philosophies. Eclectic preschools choose not to ascribe to any one of the three aforementioned approaches but combine at least two of the three. Moreover, there are play-based, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf and cooperative preschools. There are also hundreds of day care centers around the city that are less structured than nursery schools but offer longer hours in an intellectually and socially stimulating environment.

Please click on preschool educational philosophies to learn more about the different approaches to early childhood education.

Public vs. Private Schools

There are many good pre-kindergarten opportunities that are free. Unfortunately, there are not enough seats to accommodate all of the 3- or 4-year-olds in Boston; however, the City is planning on increasing the capacity.

There are also more than 150 of private nursery schools and day care centers that provide an excellent education. They tend to serve younger children, hold longer hours, have smaller class sizes and provide more resources. Unfortunately, they are not free.