Teaching a 3, 4 or 5-year-old isn't easy. It takes a full understanding of child development, self-awareness and a level of understanding that comes from years of education and experience. Keep in mind, state licensed programs must meet the minimum staff qualification standards. In North Carolina, lead teachers must be at least 18 years old and have a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential or a higher degree.

Even though the state sets the minimum, the more education and professional experience the pre-k teacher has, the better. What kinds of qualifications should you really look for? First, there's education. Again, your child's teacher needs to know about child development principles. Along with that, the teacher should understand effective discipline practices, how to create lesson plans and activities that are in-line with your child's age and developmental level, cultural differences in children and education, and what current research says about early education.

Not only does your child's teacher need an educational background in teaching and child development, but they also need some sort of experience. This may come from years of working with preschoolers, college or graduate-level internships or student teaching.

When you walk into the child care center what do you see? It's this environment that makes or breaks your kid's experience. Look for a setting that stimulates the senses, provides plenty of opportunities for learning and is set up in a completely child-friendly way.

If you're not entirely sure what this means, look around at the playthings, the classroom set-up and what's on the walls. Play and learning items should be easily accessible for the children. But, unsafe items (such as medications or cleaning products) should be completely out of reach and locked securely away. The classroom should encourage exploration and feel inviting. This might mean that there are learning centers stocked with materials or low open shelves with books and toys on them.

Along with the toys, furniture and general set-up, the room should include plenty of print. Some teachers label bins, shelves or individual areas (such as "Reading" or "Art"). You should also see posters and artwork (both copies of real works as well as the kids' art) on the walls.

The preschool curriculum should include an array of areas. The North Carolina licensing requirements demand that four- and five-star programs use an approved curriculum.

In general, a quality preschool program's curriculum includes early literacy (reading and writing), math, science, social studies, the arts (visual art, dance/creative movement, music and drama) and gross motor/physical activities.

A quality program's curriculum is responsive to the child's needs, fits the developmental level and helps the child to reach beyond what they currently know or can do. The school or individual classroom teachers should make the lessons and activities available to the parents.

Every child is different. That means your list of must-haves for a preschool program may not look identical to another parent's list. Yes, you can put teacher qualifications, the environment and the curriculum on your list. Of course, that's not all.

You may have a specific educational philosophy you're looking for in a pre-k program, or you may only want to explore child care centers that offer plenty of arts experiences. Then there are the logistical issues. You may need a center that offers extended care, has early hours, is close to your home, is close to your job or has an after-school program that your child can continue after they've "graduated" from preschool.

If you are interested in learning more about a preschool program for your child, call Kids and Company at 910-799-3556.