It's not a secret that early education is an valuable part of placing children on the path to future success and happiness. According to a study by The Perry Preschool Project, preschool graduates are less likely to commit crimes, are more likely to graduate high school, and hold higher-paying jobs in the future. Preschool provides young students with the opportunity to learn important lessons, socialize with others, and grow in several different ways. So this leaves parents with one important question: Which preschool should they select?

Parents have many preschools to choose from, especially if they live in or near a large city. Finding the best preschool is no easy feat. Here are three effective strategies that can help make this choice much easier:

Ask Around

The very best resource for finding the best preschools near you are parents who have children who attended preschool recently. These individuals have valuable insight into the program that they used (and maybe those that they didn't. After a few conservations, you'll have a better idea of the pre-K schools you want to focus on.

Rating Websites

Google "best preschools in (your area)" and you'll likely find two types of results: actual preschools and ranking websites. These websites will lead you to rankings and reviews for lots of different preschools in your area. This doesn't mean you need to automatically go with the top-rated preschool. But it should help you get closer to the best choice.

Visit Preschools

Once you have finally trimmed your list down to a few choices, tour the locations of your favorite preschools. Call ahead to see when these preschools welcome visitors.

If you follow all three of these steps, it should be much easier to pinpoint the best early education option for your child.