The Influence Of Center-Based Preschool Education

Over the years the long-term effects of preschool childcare has been a topic of growing interest. The use of these programs have grown dramatically over the years, and more than half of all three to five year olds in the United States attend childcare centers prior to kindergarten (Peisner-Feinberg et al., 2001). Many questions have risen overtime on the quality of childcare centers, and the research on these issues has been extremely inadequate. Do these early childcare centers have a long-term impact on a child’s social

To start off, many students aren’t ready yet for the basis of kindergarten as they never finished, or even attended preschool. Attending a preschool gives children an early advantage, and stimulates an early mind. When a child starts their educational journey at the age of three, they get a two year “Head Start,” for themselves, compared to kids who have not attended preschool. This early advantage is a physical and significant benefit for them as it helps strengthen the child from early on. According to greatschools.org, “To sustain children’s excitement and motivation for learning, high-quality preschool and child care programs introduce early literacy and math skills

As mentioned earlier, approximately eighty-five to ninety percent of the brain has been formed by the age of five (“Early Childhood Education Needs More Attention” 1). It seems as though the education of children should be a top priority during children’s first years of life considering how much they grow and develop. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that children who are able to attend preschool experience many long term benefits later in life . Kids who received a preschool education were found to “repeat fewer grades, be more literate, be more likely to achieve a higher level of education, and [be] more positive...toward their children’s education” (Wilson 2). Preschool helps children to be successful throughout their years in school. It makes sense to spend the time and money on children in preschool, instead of trying to play catch-up once they are already behind. Some of the benefits of preschool are evident, even throughout adulthood. Adults who attended preschool “had lower unemployment rates, earned significantly more money in their lifetimes, had significantly more stable dwelling arrangements, and were involved in less crime” (Wilson 2). Preschool sets children up for success throughout their lives. The increase in income and lowered crime rates stemming from preschool attendance actually lessen the amount of government money that is later spent on public assistance and correctional facilities (Abdul-Alim

The evidence for positive economic, educational and health benefits from targeted preschool interventions is substantial (Barnett, 2010; Campbell, Conti, Heckman, Moon, Pinto, Pungello & Pan, 2014; Finn, 2010). However, the current research does not provide evidence that universal preschool will give the same long-term benefits as targeted preschool (Armor, 2014). This writer argues that universal preschool is not appropriate in the American context because the current government preschool programs have limited long term benefit, it subsidizes those who can afford to pay for private preschool and it takes money from targeted preschool for the neediest.

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.

According to Friedrich Froebel, “Children must master the language of things before they master the language of words.” Author David Elkind wrote an article titled “Much Too Early” about the difficulties children may face when they attend preschool at an early age. His purpose was to inform readers that the idea of children attending preschool would be a bad idea for their academic background in the future. Although children may be very anxious and excited to start school at such an early age, their ability to catch on and develop quickly may be at risk in the end.

The developmental years before children reach the age of kindergarten are very critical in affecting lasting cognitive and social-emotional growth. The occurrences the children have during this time period help structure their futures and have lasting effects on the contributions they make to society later in life. Many children during this time period do not experience quality cognitive and social- emotional occurrences due to poverty or other conditions detrimental to healthy development. Since high quality early child development programs have shown that they can and do make a difference in how children learn and are able to prepare for and proceed in school, it is essential that children in high-risk groups for failure participate in these programs. In this paper, I will discuss the characteristics that make up a high quality early educational program, the benefits of early childhood and a federally funded program called Head Start.

Education is an important factor when it comes to the development of the human brain. It is known in America that children around the ages of 3 to 5 can have the opportunity to enrol in Preschool. Preschool is a program for younger kids who want to get a head start in education in order to have a better transition into elementary school. There has been some controversy on how old the child must be in order to be placed into preschool and whether the program is even beneficial. Many other countries such as Finland are also providing Preschool programs to children, but their program is a lot different compared to America’s.

Brown, C. P. (2013). Reforming Preschool to Ready Children for Academic Achievement: A Case Study of the Impact of Pre-K Reform on the Issue of School Readiness. Early Education & Development, 24(4), 554-573. doi:10.1080/10409289.2012.694352

Early Childhood Education means the opportunity to learn about school education at a daycare center or programs before assisting in the Elementary school. These programs help children to socialize with other children in the same age. At the same time, these programs teach children to learn about colors, shapes, numbers, and early math that help them prepare for school. All children are different and they learn at different levels depending on their families, culture, community, languages, and many factors that affect children. Therefore, children who attend preschool or early programs have more possibilities for success than children who stay at home with parents or caregivers.

Everyday on the way to school, I pass a preschool for early starters, ages 3 weeks to 6 years. A myriad of thoughts pass through my mind, one thought is why are parents putting their kids into school when they are mere babies? Another thought that goes through my mind is, if these kids are going there at such a young age are they child prodigies? Sending young children to preschool when they are 3 or 4 is a controversial subject for many parents and I can see why; as a parent you want what is best for your child and with all the choices out there of what to do with your child it can be confusing. There is the idea that preschool is what your child needs and then there is the idea that kids need to be kids, they need time to grow and mature without the pressure of school.

Over the years, the development of research surrounding early childhood education has expanded, showing indicating individual and societal benefits of implementing early education programming for at-risk children. Quality early education programming can lead to long-term benefits including an increase in early language, literacy, and math development, educational attainment, economic growth as well as a decrease in crime and learning gains by children of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds (Barnett, 2008; Gormely et al., 2005; Hustedt et al., 2007; Lynch, 2007; Robin et al., 2006). Considering the implications of early education research, Neuman’s seven essentials accurately depict the necessary programmatic principles needed to ensure the continued success of the at-risk children served in the Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus. These seven principles include: 1) Targeting, 2) Developmental Timing, 3) Intensity, 4) Professional Training, 5) Coordinated Services, 6) Compensatory Instructional Benefit, And 7) Accountability. Individually, these practices provide an outline for the development and implementation of quality early education programs that lead to sustainable benefits for children. Categorized into three stages, 1) Pre-program implementation, 2) Program Implementation, and 3) Post program implementation, this section will seek to apply the principles outlined by Neuman to VPI+.

Preschool supports children in their school readiness, and since 1995 early head start has been providing low income families preschool educational support for their young children. Magnuson and Votruba-Drzal (2014) report that disadvantaged children, those from homes suffering from early and chronic poverty, are at risk for lower levels of achievement and discuses education as being an impactful intervention to address poverty. However, like any social program, a cost-benefit analysis will be employed. The cost of preschool is sizable, Duncan (2001) states that the application of effective preschool programs, as well as the cost of research to assess effectiveness, is an investment. An effective preschool program is innately more expensive, characteristics such as low teacher to student ratios, small class sizes, teacher work conditions, and professional development are key to effectiveness as well as a cost factor. Yet, Barnett (2011) indicated that the cost of preschool was better than the cost of potential supports through special education and retention as indicated through a comparison study. Long term impacts also include a reduction in:

Overall, it is ultimately the decision of the parents to enroll their child in preschool. However, by doing so, the child will gain invaluable information and skills that can be used on a daily basis. Preschool was designed to give children a head start on education and seems to be working. It is very important to extend play time in the preschool classroom because it is essential to a children’s growth and

The Preschool Puzzle article talked about whether universal pre-K is worth the cost for taxpayers or not, the article included both political and scientific arguments about the topic. The article talked about two long-term studies that have been made on the affects of pre-K. The first is the Abecedarian Project, in this study, researchers had four infants assigned to a full-time early education program from birth to the age of five and followed them through their adulthood. The researchers found that these children scored higher on tests, were more likely to go to college, and had greater academic achievements. The second method is called the Perry Preschool Project, this study involved low-income children who were assigned to an intensive