Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post/Getty Imagesshow that going to preschool gives young children a leg up on all kinds of learning, not just academics but social skills, listening, planning and self-control. But how big is that early boost and how long does it last? The answer matters because, despite bipartisan support for early childhood education, preschool is unevenly funded in the U.S., resulting in lower levels of attendance than in other countries.
A new study published in the journal Developmental Psychology clarifies some of the differences between children who go to preschool and those who stay home. Though the researchers didn’t randomly assign children to each group, they ensured that the preschool attenders and nonattenders were demographically similar. The 2,581 children in the study lived in the same ethnically diverse U.S.
Researchers measured how attenders and nonattenders stacked up against each other at the beginning and the end of kindergarten. In general, they found that “children who attended pre-K outperformed the others in terms of language and literacy and math. We’re talking about the very basics,” said Arya Ansari, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University.
At the beginning of kindergarten, preschool attenders were far more advanced than nonattenders on assessments of vocabulary, background knowledge, letter identification, short-term memory and other areas. For example, the pre-K attenders were approximately 8 months ahead of nonattenders in academic learning and about 5 months ahead in executive function skills, such as listening, planning and self-control.
By the end of kindergarten, the nonattenders were beginning to catch up, but more in some subjects than others. Eighty percent of the starting gap in pre-literacy skills was erased by the first year of instruction, but only 55% of the gap in math skills and 45% in general knowledge. Given that all subjects in a classroom were taught by the same teacher, the disparity can be attributed to the nature of the subjects themselves, as opposed to the quality of the teaching.
Childhood isn’t a race, of course. Still, the pace of learning is important because knowledge builds on itself.
Swap public funding of 12th grade for public funding of pre-K
Seriously, how many years and studies does it take?
But many countries in EU dont teach the way we do here... theres so many studies saying we teach reading too early... we force kids to hold pencils when they're hands arent fully developed... we say one size doesnt fit all but our actions dont match...
My daughter is so far ahead in kindergarten that she’s bored. She can read better than most first graders. She attended preschool and then young 5’s
The research has been solid for over 30 years. Quality preschool for ALL children provides lifelong benefit in cognitive and emotional development. Children attending preschool programs develop social skills that result in a decreased chance of dropping out of school.
Maybe we should have cradle to career programs directed towards the child and offered by private companies.
****HERE IT IS: JOES END*** Tony Bobulinski makes a statement ahead of the final debate' on YouTube
This is important. If only it were being reported in a newspaper that had not sold its credibility already...
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