Also, spend a few minutes talking with the principal or school administrator. Ask specific questions and record their answers. Good questions to ask include:

• What is the school's philosophy on teaching reading?
• What kinds of books are the children expected to read? Who chooses them?
• How and when is writing and composition taught? Is there time for creative writing?
• Is the curriculum established or does it emerge from the students' interests?
• How often do the children use textbooks? Workbooks? Worksheets?
• When do children start getting homework? How much at what grades?
• How are the children assessed?
• When does computer education start? How much exposure per week do they get?
• How much time is spent on art, music, and crafts?
• Are there many opportunities for cooperative learning?
• How is discipline for improper behavior carried out?
• What kind of qualifications do the teachers have?
• Who makes decisions about the school?
• What level of parental participation is allowed?

Don't feel embarrassed about asking questions, says Koetzsch. "The answers will give you a sense of the philosophy behind the school and how that philosophy manifests in the life of the school."

If possible, talk to a teacher, preferably the one who would have your child in class. Ask how she got into teaching, how long she's been doing it, and what she does and doesn't like about her job. As you get a feel for her personality, consider how your child will interact with her. Remember, says Koetzsch, "in the end, education is something that happens primarily between an individual child and his teacher, so it's important that you like and trust your child's teacher."