To Preschool or Not to Preschool?

Will preschool affect the long-term success of your child? It appears the jury is still out on the exact answer; however a 2007 report seems to indicate that children who attend preschool may have a greater likelihood of continuing their education and even being more successful at it.

Children that attend preschool have a higher high school graduation rate, require less special education and in the long-run are less dependent on government welfare, according to a 2007 report by Preschool California, a nonprofit advocacy group which helps young children find better access to high-quality education.
Among other things, the group’s studies show that preschool helps children grow accustomed to a classroom atmosphere earlier, facilitating heightened performance in areas such as literacy later on.

In a 2003 report for the Council of Chief State School Officers, Senior Project Associate of Early Childhood and Family Education, Jinhee Lee gave insight into the effects of early education.

“A student’s achievement in high school can often be traced back to his or her participation in preschool,” Lee said. “This is especially true for high-risk students who have participated in high-quality preschool programs.”

While the aforementioned examples suggest that preschool is vital in the long-term success of young children, there are some who feel that pre-kindergarten education isn’t necessarily the catalyst for high performing students. Barbara Frank, a mother and author of several books on homeschooling, including, Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers, stresses the point of not putting your child through school too early, or for the wrong reasons.
In an online article, Is Preschool Necessary? Frank states, “My issue is with the parents who believe preschool is the only way to raise an intelligent, successful child, or who buy into that so they can do their thing.”

Frank calls attention to the fact that while preschool advocates may indicate that early education may produce successful students, it doesn’t have a monopoly on stimulating a child’s progression.

In the end, each family must decide what is best for each of their children. Depending on a child’s maturity and a myriad of other variables, formal schooling may be ideal from the young age of three or put off until kindergarten. Laura Davis and Janis Keyser, authors for the online parenting magazine, iVillage, wrote, “[Preschool attendance] is a very personal decision, it is important that parents don’t feel pressured about making the decision.”

Contributing: Tijs Sirrine
Photo: Wikipedia Commons