Preschools--a cost we must afford

   

It seemed like such an easy question. "Preschools are very expensive endeavors, are they worth their cost?" My immediate thought was they're nice and the kids like it, but I didn't go to preschool and I turned out fine.

    Then I considered the children with developmental delays who are given the opportunity to work at their own pace with typically developing children and then catch-up developmentally and enter mainstream kindergartens. If only everyone was given that opportunity...
    In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson supported a summer program called Head Start. It's goal was to give impoverished children an opportunity to enter kindergarten on the same footing as their peers through language, cognitive, social and emotional education. It was expanded to a full-year program that focused on health and nutrition, as well as education.
    On the heels of that program's beginnings, University of North Carolina began a study called the Abecedarian Project, that randomly assigned 111 children (including infants) to either a day school that focused on the same things as Head Start, as well as parent education, or a control group that was not provided the same services. http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/5032/107/
     A 30-year followup of 101 of the participants showed that those who received early childhood intervention were more likely to graduate from high school, four times more likely to attend college, were better able to stay consistently employed and less likely to receive public assistance. It is just one example of many studies that prove early education starts children on a path that leads to greater adult opportunities.
     Traditionally, the state of North Carolina agreed with these studies and has run a program through Head Start and other Pre-kindergartens called "More at Four". It has been one of the few states that had rigorous quality standards to ensure the children were actually receiving the nutrition and education offered in higher priced preschools. Some of the standards include: lead teachers are required to hold a B.A. in Early Childhood Education and licensure as a birth to kindergarten teacher, 1:9 teacher/student ratios, teacher continuing education requirements, and specific early learning standards. The full criteria are available in the State of Preschool Yearbook, 2011, by the National Institute for Early Education Research. www.nieer.org This program is in peril, however, as North Carolina and other states drastically reduce education funding.
     Another consideration is the affordability and access to preschool education for moderate income families. Research has shown that a large percentage of families are above eligibility for state programs but unable to afford private ones. http://www.knowledge-media.com/synergy/content/821/pdf-naesp1665_preschooleducation.pdf Shouldn't those children be given the same opportunities as the lower and higher ends of the income spectrum?
     The answer to the original question seems easy: YES, children should have an opportunity to attend a high quality preschool program. However, we need to continue to try to find a way to make it part of the curriculum for all children. The following video by economist Stephen Barton supports my statement and takes it a step further by including research about the economic payback the country would receive by implementing it. http://www.nieer.org/resources/video/mpg/Clip_2.mpg