We sent DD to a Chinese daycare. We speak English at home. We found that it was most effective when Chinese was the only language spoken at school, and the staff spoke very little/no English to DD. She attended the preschool for two years (from ages 3 to 5). To supplement, we also make a point to spend at least some time every week with Chinese-speaking friends to provide real-life situations outside of school where she has to speak Chinese. In addition, we watch Chinese-language shows on TV, and she has an app that where she can read Chinese stories/books. This has helped her to develop such a solid foundation that, 4 years later (DD is now 9 years old), she is considered a native speaker.
Other things we looked for in a daycare was teacher to student ratio, and type of programming. We wanted a daycare that provided a variety of educational and developmentally-appropriate experiences through interactive activities and play. We did not want a daycare that stuck the kids in front of a screen all day, or even for any significant part of the day. We asked for their daily schedule. We also asked about disciplinary methods. We asked about the teachers' educational backgrounds and years of work experience. We watched how the teachers treated the kids. Did they sit on the floor and interact with the kids? Did they join the kids' play? What was their language use like? Was the language used enriching and expanding the kids' vocabulary? Were there serve-and-return interactions? What was the environment like? Were there a variety of creative and exploration materials? Were the toys ones that fostered creativity or were they electronic doodads that only allowed prescriptive play? Did the classroom provide sufficient stimulation? Was there a quiet corner for kids who became overstimulated? In their programming, did the school also teach social-emotional/self-regulation skills? How did they deal with separation anxiety? Finally, was the environment safe?
