Education Is Too Structured And Hinders Children Creativity Essay

Early childhood education is crucial for success in the formalized education system. Many children born into lower income communities do not obtain this advantage. According to Kozol, simply based off accident of birth a child will lead completely different educational lives (2005). For example, a white toddler in an upper middle class neighborhood might attend a prestigious educational preliminary kindergarten. These respected early education schools are often referred to as “baby ivies” (Kozol, 2005). The child participates in pre-numeracy skills along with pre-writing skills. Conversely, a child of minority descent living in an underprivileged neighborhood may not initiate school until they are five years old. In the three previous years a

On February 12th, 2012, in his State of the Union address, President Obama discussed the long-term benefits a universal preschool would have on today’s society. “In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children…studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind.” (Obama) Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of children, from low-poverty areas, are unable to access high-quality early childhood programs for their preschool aged children. Consequently,

Recent studies on early childhood education have shown that children who have access to quality pre-kindergarten education tend to have higher educational attainment than those who do not have the opportunity. While the literature is by no means uniform on this, the bulk of current evidence suggests that such policies will likely be helpful, especially for students in low - income and minority school districts. Only time will tell, of course, if such programs can help to make inroads into the seemly intractable achievement gaps, but based on current evidence, it is a policy worth

The studies found that all pre-school programs have the potential to prepare disadvantaged preschoolers to enter school at the same level, but since the children in this study were so much more disadvantaged and lower intellectually, they had no way to go but up. Since Head Start is designed for economically and intellectually disadvantaged children, these deficits can be specifically corrected. Simple knowledge like colors, street signs, and discipline are taught, but often assumed by other preschoolers who are more privileged they have already mastered those skills. Meeting the children on their own level brings them up to close the gap with other children. However, this gap appears in other

In the best of cases, the returns on a preschool education compared to the cost of enrollment is nearly seventeen times, an enormous benefit for a relatively low cost. (Schweinhart) This number comes from the results of the High/Scope Perry Preschool Project, a 40 year long, completely comprehensive look into how the addition of a preschool education positively impacts students from low income, urban families. The findings included, among other things, a 14 percent employment rate increase and $5,000 average annual wage increase in children who were able to attend a preschool compared to their less educated peers. Other benefits included included an 11 percent increase in homeownership, 17 percent increase in the ability to own two or more automobiles, 26 percent higher likelihood to own a savings account, 35 percent decrease in violent crime, and a 27 percent increase in likelihood to have the custody of children. (Schweinhart) These numbers would seem to indicate that preschool enrollment is an incredible value for the health and stability of a community, however all of these benefits may take decades to fully

The achievement gap is a serious issue that schools everywhere face. Poor and impoverished students do not have access to the same educational amenities that more privileged students do, which puts them at a disadvantage in school. Since the achievement gap is created early on in a child’s life, Alberto Ochoa believes that preschool is the best way to stop the gap before it has the chance to form (1). It makes more sense to try stop the gap from happening, rather than doing damage control once the gap has already had time to form. Preventing the gap from forming means sending children to preschool so that they are both cognitively and emotionally prepared to succeed in kindergarten and throughout the rest of their educational careers. Unfortunately, not every parent is able to send their child to preschool. Taking inflation into account, the average cost to raise a child born in 2013 is estimated to be approximately $304,480 (Garth 1). This large figure only covers necessities: food, clothing, shelter. It is not surprising that many parents cannot spare the extra cost of sending their children to preschool. Universal preschool would allow children to attend preschool, even if their parents cannot afford it or they do not qualify for the government funded Head Start program (Greene 1). The numerous benefits of

Early experiences are critical for a child’s development. According to the U.S Department of Education “there are 2.5 million children here in the U.S that does not have access to preschool.” Not everyone can afford

Early childhood education has many benefits and there is the potential for many significant outcomes if universal preschools were put into place. Some feel that children who start kindergarten without previously attended preschool sometimes lack certain skills such as social and communication skills and an inability to follow routines. There were also studies done that found attending preschool could help to close the achievement gap in the grade school years. A child’s first few years of life are most important, and they absorb the most during those years. By providing universal preschool, all children would be benefiting, especially those who are in at-risk families or part of the lower class. As a society, we have a responsibility to help the children in our communities and provide them with the education they need in order to help them succeed in life.

An increasing body of evidence shows that children’s earliest experiences in early care and education programs play a major role on their later success as healthy individuals. However, low-income children may not experience school readiness gains

In the midst of discussion of the effectiveness of early childhood education for children prior to entering kindergarten, the question of approach comes in terms of who will benefit from pre-k class time. Kristen Mobbs’s dissertation focuses on the differences between different learning settings and socioeconomic statuses of the students attending state/private/federally funded preschools. An excerpt from Mobbs’s research was deemed quite appropriate toward the reasoning for this study: “Disadvantaged and traditionally marginalized students are at an incrased risk of developing behavior and social problems (Bulosky-Shearer & Fernandez, 2011), and girls demonstrate higher approaches to learning (Dominguez et al., 20100, perform better in school

Not only did the results show a biological difference in the brains of children from different socioeconomic positions (Noble, Houston, Brito, Bartsch, Kan, et al. 2015, pp. 773-778), but cognitive testing and further testing on older children show a correlation between poverty and intellectual development. What is highlighted in these studies are the importance of early intervention, which seems to reverse the fate these children are given.

It is a well-known fact that low-income children are falling behind their high-income counterparts due to restricted access to high-quality preschools and education. "Researchers estimate that half of the achievement gap in high school can be attributed to children’s experiences before age 5” (Olinsky, 2014). Having access to high-quality preschools increases the likelihood that a low-income student will graduate from high school, attend college, and earn higher wages as an adult. Although forty states have already adopted federally funded preschools, this should be mandatory in all 50 states and be available to all children “regardless of their background, start on a more level playing field, thereby combat inequality for the next generation of Americans” and “will give all children more of a fair shot to realize the American Dream by working hard and playing by the rules” (Olinsky, 2014; Pazzanese,

In today’s society, with its evolving academic demands, parents are confronted with the decision of how to best educate their young children. Since the formative years are critical to academic success, this decision becomes increasingly important (Ray & Smith, 2010). With a myriad of early learning opportunities accessible through parental and non-parental daycares and preschools, parents are perplexed with the dilemma of when and where to enroll their child. Previous research indicates that preschool education plays a significant role in school readiness (Henry, Gordon, Henderson, & Ponder, 2003). It provides the foundation for future success (Barnett, 2008).

According to Lawrence J. Schweinhart of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, an access to a quality preschool starting at the age of three years can increase the average graduation rate from high school by up to thirty percent. Why then, are only twenty five percent of three year old children enrolled in preschools, and fewer still in schools that meet government criteria for “acceptable” school standards? (Karoly) From 2001 to 2011, preschool funding has increased from $3.47 billion to $5.12 billion, but this increase in funding has not matched the growth of the attending population, resulting in a drop in spending per capita of around twenty three percent. (Lu) The effects of attending preschool have been comprehensively studied, with attendance to a quality preschool being linked with reduced crime rates and an increase in median annual income. These benefits affect everyone in a community, but the largest problem arises when it is considered that the demographic that is least likely to attend a preschool or have a pre-elementary education is those of low annual income. (Cheng) When children who already come from low income families are unable to attend a quality preschool, their average wage drops by around $5,000 annually, which is a large amount of money by any standards, and is especially lost in low-income areas. (Schweinhart) The main factors that cause the inequality in preschool accessibility are the quality of the instruction received, followed in

Early childhood education is one of the most important policy topics out there. Research has proven that the early years in childhood is a critical period for opportunity to develop a child’s full potential; as well as form academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine not only success in school but also their entire life (The White House). The right to a free, public education is guaranteed to all children in the United States. Early education is voluntary, and therefore some children are not given the opportunity to reach their full potential.