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Add to FavoritesNo, two more years of schooling will not improve academic achievement over the long term. Universal preschool is just another poorly thought out scheme by misguided politicians to get the vote of the severely under informed public.
There is an abundance of substandard government initiated programs in the United States the most unsettling of all is the public school system. So, why would we agree to allow our children to be subject to two more years of second rate teaching? Forcing parents to send their babies into the existing school system two years earlier may even cause a decline in academic success in the long run and damage the family unit in the short run. Instead of developing yet another inferior education program the government should focus its attention and funding to improving existing programs.
Proponents of universal preschool school say that 2 more years of school is vital to a child's academic success. However, academic achievement is not guaranteed. In fact, the risk is that two more years of stress from constant comparison with other children could increase distaste for academics.
Currently, many children who are introduced into our existing school system at the traditional age of five fail under high pressure to learn and perform in order that the school can meet "standardized guidelines" set by government agencies. Children this young are not equipped to deal with the scrutiny that comes with being compared in their learning style and ability with other children.
Many children fall short of "standardized guidelines" set by government agencies. This is because children are not standardized. All children learn differently. Teachers teach a standard way and if a child doesn't learn, as well as his classmates, by the chosen style of teaching then he falls below standards.
Our school system lacks educators who are able to teach in creative and alternative methods. This makes for longer periods of classroom time and less time for children to play. Some studies have even found that while full-time pre-school may help to increase a child's reading, and math skills, these children demonstrate diminished social skills in the long run. Children develop social skills by playing. Three and 4 year olds need to learn to socialize first before being judged on how well they can meet a standard.
In their first years children should be learning what their parents expect from them, what is acceptable behavior within their family and what their parents believe is true and right. Family time builds morals. Morals are the foundation for learning to make the right choices in life. Children who learn their family's values are more prepared to enter the outside world and better prepared to apply their prior knowledge to the rules of academia. This is a crucial time in a child's life and parents should be able to control how their child's time is spent.
Some parents may voluntarily send their children to pre-school because they feel their child is ready. Who better to decide the needs of children then their own parents? Parents should be able to decide if and when their child is ready to attend pre-school and should not be forced to turn their children over to the school system before they and their children are ready.
Other parents may have a desperate need to have their child looked after while they work, but may not believe their child is ready for academic instruction. In unavoidable financial situations in which parents must work to make ends meet, parents and children should have affordable and appropriate options available to them.
No matter how many mediocre programs are proposed or developed they will never be equal to even one good program. Why doesn't Hillary Clinton propose the government work harder to improve the appropriateness of existing academic programs and their availability?
Support ers of universal preschool argue that the programs available for early childhood education, like Head Start, are limited to extremely low income families. Why not raise the allowable limits of financial disparity so more families in need qualify for government funded early childhood education programs? More importantly, improve the quality of these programs. Require that ECE teachers learn alternative methods of teaching. Introduce methods that teach 3 and 4 year olds more about socialization.
Presently, government funded early childhood education programs are little more than glorified day care programs where under-educated "teachers" earning just over minimum wage are charged with the daily care and academic instruction of low income and at risk children. It is no wonder that these same children come out of government funded pre-school lacking social skills. It is surprising that they learn any skills. These are the same children that will eventually attend mainstream public schools. If universal pre-school is meant to extend the current early childhood education programs to all children, then more children with decreased social skills will be filling our already troublesome public school system.
Universal pre-school is destined to fail if we do not learn from our previous mistakes. The first five years of a child's life are the most informative. During this period children should be learning social skills not struggling to live up to poorly thought out government regulated educational standards. If Hillary Clinton and her followers insist that it is the fundamental right of every child to have an education then they should improve our existing educational system.
Whether their choice is based on bonding time with their children or their child's readiness parents and children should have just that-a choice. It seems Hillary is really saying that every child is entitled to an inferior education and she insists they get one.
Learn more about this author, HollyB.
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Yes
Voluntary Pre-K programs have already proven to be a great success in many states. Universal Pre-K would be a huge advance for our country.
Pre-K recognizes the the majority of children's capacity for brain development occurs during our early learning years.
Early literacy and early math numeracy is vital to a life-long ability to learn and perform competently in academics and in life skills.
Families, especially the working poor and struggling classes, depend on early learning options in order to work. Organized Pre-K is the best solution to this need.
Early learning is a highly advanced practice, and children deserve access to its benefits instead of simply being cared for by babysitters.
*What do Pre-Kindergarten Programs focus on to create success for school readiness?*
Pre K programs must focus on two central priorities, the establishment of consistently enforced quality standards and the coordination of diverse systems including public schools and private care centers.
QUALITY STANDARDS
The most important priority for continued successful implementation of Universal or Voluntary Pre Kindergarten Education Program (UPK/VPK) is establishing and assuring defined quality standards at every level of the program.
It is essential that the program maintain standards for every level of programming, including school readiness indicators for students, satisfaction indicators for parents, educational criteria for teachers and administrators, curriculum standards, quality standards and policy directives for programs, community involvement standards for coalitions, and integrated contract monitoring standards throughout the system. All of these quality standards systems should interrelate and should transfer into meaningful information for policymakers, funders, and program stakeholders.
Quality that is discernable through data is a primary expectation of early intervention programs. National directives from private funders and from governmental agencies hold out that Pre-K programs must "meet quality benchmarks associated with improving children's outcomes, such as highly-trained teachers." 1 Setting and attaining quality benchmarks will lead to consistency and measurable outcome improvements.
High-qu ality preschool is a considerable investment for states to make. In order to maintain the public support that is needed to expand the program, quality measures must show improvements in school readiness rates, and in the quality of family and community life. In all, quality standards are the most important priority for the advancement UPK/ VPK Programs.
SYSTEM COORDINATION
System coordination affects both the funding and the policies that provide for early childhood educational services, so it also is a high priority for the success of the UPK/VPK Programs.
Funding is the cornerstone of programming, and VPK services are dependent on coordinated funding to advance teachers' educational levels, to advance pay and working conditions, to improve quality and to provide access for all eligible families. Coordinated funding is also necessary to maintain system consistency and quality through technical assistance and services for coalitions, partnership agencies and community member.
Programs for early learning, however, is delivered through a complex matrix of federal, state and local mechanisms. Federal funds and services are distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, to Head Start programs and through private day care providers. School districts also receive funds for pre-K programs.
Parents must be able to continue to choose whether to use at home care, care from relatives, school district classes, private child care programs, or religious facilities. All of these types of programs must be available in Pre-K, and Pre-K standards and payment systems have to work in all systems.
Coordination is key. All UPK/VPK programs must be carefully resourced so that children and families benefit from quality care.
UNIVERSAL PRE-K INCREASES CHILD OUTCOMES
1) An overwhelming amount of research shows that Pre-K improves children's school readiness, literacy, health and social/emotional development.
2) Pre-K helps working families support early learning for their children.
3) Pre-K raises the standard of all early learning/child care programs.
4) Pre-K allows Kindergarten skills to develop quickly, allowing children to progress to more challenging work.
5) Pre-K creates stronger communities who are dedicated to serving families with young children.
In all, Universal Pre-K would be a tremendous asset to our country.
Learn more about this author, Eva Smart.
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