President
Obama’s call, in his State of the Union address, for making preschool available
to every four year old in the country is a welcome statement. Studies have
proven beyond any doubt that children who attend preschool do far better when
they reach kindergarten than those who were denied this benefit. To put it in
monetary terms, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the
United States Chamber of Commerce, has found that for every dollar invested in
early childhood education, savings of up to $17 in the future are
possible.Another way of defining the benefits of good preschooling can be found
in a Cincinnati program known as Success 6 where effective preschool education
has raised the volume of “ready to read” children entering kindergarten to 57%,
a significant improvement over the 44% level of a few years ago. An interesting
fact is that over 80% of these “ready to read” children continue to read at or
above their age levels even at the end of the third grade. The significance of
the is number lies in the fact that research shows that children who are not
good readers by the time they reach the third grade are four times more likely
to drop out of high school than children who can read at the appropriate age
level. This is a testament to the long lasting results that effective
preschooling provides.
The Growth Years
A
child’s brain grows to about 85% of its full capacity in the first five years
of life. This, coupled with the development of evaluation and assessment
abilities, albeit underdeveloped, in the child, means that what is internalized
by the age of five is what will remain as the foundation for further knowledge
acquisition as the years pass.
The
argument that educating children before they are of kindergarten age is
damaging to them may be seen to have some at least partially valid points. But
a carefully planned and effective preschooling program can overcome all of
these. It is thought that making young children attend preschool regiments them
too much. However, if done properly, preschool will help them to focus and
refine their curiosity and natural enquiring instincts so that they are better
able to find and retain the information and facts they are in search of. And
the argument that preschool denies a child the essential freedom to play is
easily countered. The knowledge and cognitive abilities that preschool provides
to a child add to the value and meaning of the playing that is done. And the
balance that naturally comes between preschool and less organized play
activities at home allow for an understanding to develop of the difference
between formal and informal activities. This in turn leads to an instinctive
appreciation of the benefits that both have to offer.
We Cannot Afford To Be Left Behind
While
the benefits that come from effective preschool education cannot be denied, it
is often seen as affecting only the children who receive it. What is often not
understood here in the USA
is that the effect is on the nation and its future as a whole. While debate
rages about universal preschool in the country, China is reported to have set
itself a goal of ensuring that at least 70 % of the children in the country get
3 years of preschool education. India
is spending huge amounts to modernize and increase the reach of its primary and
preschool education system. Both countries are today prime movers of economic
growth and are seen as the future economic superpowers. The focus that nations
like these are placing on preschool as a means to ensure long term development
and strength is something we cannot afford to ignore.
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