If you find yourself in a situation where preschool is out of reach financially, what do you do? Is your child doomed to fall behind before she even reaches Kindergarten? Will he grow up to be unsocial and labeled slow if he doesn’t attend the best early learning program?
Research does show that early childhood education in the form of a quality preschool program does give children an edge over those who do not attend. But with preschool costs soaring, not everyone has the option of sending their child to preschool.
Before you panic, let’s review a few things.
First, those studies that talk about the advantages of preschool don’t take into account children who learn at home in a loving home environment. There is no reason that you could not teach the same curriculum at home. Even if you don’t plan on homeschooling, you can introduce your child to letters, numbers, colors, shapes, songs and writing his name. The Internet is full of free resources to help. Attending playgroups or just taking your child to the park will introduce her to a social environment. Check out the Homeschool Blog for more information.
Second, you may have the option of free preschool through your state’s Head Start or Early Learning Program. Just do a search for “free preschool,” or “Head Start” along with your state name. It is true that recent budget cuts may make qualifying for these programs more difficult, but it may be an option.
Third, to get back to homeschooling, many homeschool organizations offer a co-op, where parents get together and teach anywhere from one to three days a week at a central location. Generally there is a tiny annual fee and the commitment to contribute time to the group, such as teaching a class or volunteering in the nursery.
Would you like to see more on this topic or any other? Please leave a comment.
Mary Ann Romans.
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