If you have been following my blog series Education A to Z, you will know that I am writing about topics that relate to education, going right down the alphabet. I have discussed attendance, behavior, cooperation and discipline. Today I want to discuss another education topic, early childhood education.
Early childhood education is a real issue for educators and parents alike. Many parents struggle with whether or not preschool is important, and ultimately it comes down to what the parent wants for his child. Not every child goes to preschool and that is fine. What is important is, if you choose not to send your child to preschool then skills typically taught in a preschool environment should be taught at home. This way your child is prepared for kindergarten.
What does the NEA (National Education Association) say about early childhood education? It has been founded in a study by the High/Scope Perry Preschool Project that children who were enrolled in preschool programs that are quality programs are more likely to earn up to two thousand dollars more a month than children who didn’t attend an excellent preschool program when they are done with their schooling. It also found that children who attend high-quality preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school, own a home and have a longer marriage than those who don’t attend a quality preschool program.
It doesn’t stop there. Other studies have shown that early childhood education, especially for children who are poor, has shown positive effects. Children in this study who attended a quality preschool program were less likely to be staffed in special education, repeat a grade or have legal troubles later in life.
This isn’t to say that choosing not to send your child to preschool is a bad thing, because it isn’t. It is a personal choice; I am just sharing with you some of the studies done on this topic. My son goes to preschool, not because I worry about academics or the fact that he may not make as much money as a peer someday who did attend preschool.
He goes because I want him to have that socialization with other kids his age and I want him to learn the basics of being in school: raising your hand, standing in line, and participating in a group. I can do the academics at home, but the others are things I feel are important for him to learn before he goes to kindergarten. That is why my son goes to preschool. Would I be worried about these studies if I chose not to send my son to preschool? Only if I was not working with him at home on his basic facts, reading and other academics. Then these studies may cause me some concern.
For those of you who chose not to send your child to preschool, do these studies bother you? If so, why? If not, why?