It's not a mystery that early education is an essential part of placing children on the path to future happiness and success. Actually, a study by The Perry Preschool Project showed that preschool graduates are more likely to graduate from high school, commit less crimes, and hold higher earning jobs. There are lots of advantages to pre-K education, including learning new skills and social interaction. So this leaves parents with one important question: Which preschool should they choose?

Unless you live in a tiny city, you probably have a lot of preschool choices. Some are part of the public school system, while others are charter schools with unique curriculum. Finding the best pre-K school is no easy feat. Here are three effective tips that can help make this choice much easier:

Referrals

Talking to friends and family who have been through this process already is one of the best choices that you can make. They will provide you with valuable information about teachers, cost, location, structure, and teaching curriculum. A few casual conversations can provide you with a few preschools that you can research.

Read Rating Websites

A handful of websites exist that rank and review local preschools and other institutions. Reading these sites will give you an indication of your available choices. You don't have to choose the pre-K school with top ranking automatically, but these sites will help make your choice easier.

Tours

Once you have finally cut your list down to a few choices, tour the locations of your favorite preschools. First, call to make sure you visit at a time that works best for both parties.

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