With most people spending at least four years in college these days, it's all too easy to write off those first few years of elementary school education as unimportant. You have a decade to make up for a poor elementary education, right? Well, not exactly. The first few years of a child's education form a platform upon which the rest of their learning can and should rest. So, it's important to choose an elementary school that offers them the best education available. Here are five elements to look for in an excellent preparatory elementary school.

1. Group and solo learning

As they go through school, your child will have to learn how to work and learn on their own -- and also how to collaborate with others. A good elementary school will provide a combination of group and solo learning opportunities. They may use group work in some subjects and encourage more independent learning in others, or they may do a group project once a week in a different subject each time.

2. Low student-teacher ratios

The fewer students there are in a class, the more time the teacher will have to spend with each one of them. A school with 30 students per class, for instance, is less ideal than one with small class sizes of 15 - 20. This is especially important at the elementary school level since kids at this age are still learning how to behave and perform in school -- and individualized teacher attention helps guide that.

3. Athletic opportunities

At the elementary school age, children don't necessarily need to participate in competitive sports. However, they should have access to some sort of athletic endeavors. Sports help teach kids discipline and teamwork, which will benefit them later in life. An elementary school with club sports after school or even casual soccer meetups on the weekends is a good choice.

4. A music program

Kids who learn to think musically early on in life will have an easier time learning to play an instrument or sing well later on. In elementary school, just having a music class a few times per week is helpful. If the school offers individual music lessons, that's all the better.

5. Attentive teachers

Meet with some of the teachers at the elementary school. Make sure they are kind and thoughtful towards the kids, and also make sure they are willing to discuss any concerns you may have as a parent. Teachers who are mindful about what and how they teach will do a better job of preparing your child for more advanced education.