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| Yes | 57% | 150 votes | Total: 261 votes | |
| No | 43% | 111 votes |
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Add to FavoritesAs a teacher who has taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and third grade, I can definitively say that children who attend pre-school benefits significantly both academically and socially when compared to their peers who have not attended pre-school.
In the state where I work, children are qualified for public pre-school. Students who qualify are those who have a home language survey on file that states that a language other than English is spoken in the home. Students are then tested using an English language survey, if they show limited English proficiency the students are then qualified to attend either a bilingual pre-kindergarten (Spanish) or English as Second Language (ESL usually serves Asian language like Vietnamese). Additionally, children qualify for public pre-school if they are either homeless or from a low income family.
Unfortunately , with the cost of pre-kindergarten, these qualifications allow students from families who cannot afford the high cost of private pre-schools to fall through the cracks.
Much research has been done regarding the benefits of children attending pre-school programs. The research has shown that the earliest years are the most essential for learning and brain development. Simply put, children have a large capacity for learning between the ages of 3 and 4. On the other hand, socially the benefits of pre-school are irrefutable. Pre-school teaches our younger set how to function in a classroom. Children learn to follow a daily routines and rules, and to get along with other children.
Children who attend effective pre-school programs are more likely to become good readers while they are in elementary school. They are less likely to be placed in special education programs and to be retained. With this being said, they are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. When looking at all of these factors, if we are encouraging high school completion and college attendance, simply by mandating effective preschool programs, it stands to reason that we are also diminishing the number of people who will need welfare assistance and, also, diminishing the numbers of people being placed in the prison population.
From personal experience with my own children and with the students who I have taught in pre-school, I have seen significant growth both academically and socially when compared to their peers. I taught pre-school prior to teaching third grade. The majority of my students who were with me in pre-school are reading either on grade level or well above. Additionally, they are academically successful with limited behavior issues. Keeping in mind that many of my students came to me speaking no English at all and come from homes where English is not spoken, these students are successfully integrated in all English classrooms and performing at or above grade level.
The pre-school teacher needs to be celebrated but, also be one of the most highly qualified teachers on the campus. The pre-school teacher lays the basic foundations for our students. He or she teaches children well beyond the ABCs. When entering a pre-school classroom, the perception often is that playing is going on and not much else. In reality, in a well-structured pre-school classroom, children are learning how to sit for a period of time in a whole group, while keeping their hands and feet to themselves. Students are learning how to be courteous to one another and how to approach others to play and share. Children are learning how to dress themselves and groom themselves. They are learning how to wait their turn. They are learning their letters, sounds, and numbers. They are learning responsibility. This is just a listing of some of the things that are being learned in a pre-school classroom. In reality, there is much more going on, too numerous and extensive to cover.
So, definitively I support government funded pre-school programs for all children. Why would we not want our children to benefit from these programs? Our society is very different now that it was back in the 50s. Most households are two income households where the role of the mother has changed. No longer are we living in the age where families often had several children and mom spent time working with her children on school readiness skills. Mom now is more concerned with making ends meet as she is in the workforce, too. Pre-school has so many benefits that it should be included in federal and state funding for public school. The research has proven it, now let's fund it.
Learn more about this author, Heinz Sladek.
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No
The current education crisis has many people crying "More, more!" Expanding a model that is failing our K-12 set, and pinning our hopes on children who are trying to master toilet skills, is preposterous. While kindergarten has moved from half-day crafts and games to full-day standardized test preparation, and overall public school spending per pupil has doubled, improvement in outcome has been minuscule. Quantity does not compensate for quality.
Learning is very much a developmental process; one that cannot be forced by age or universal method. It can, however, be greatly influenced by experience. A child who has never been read to is not likely to meet the kindergarten entrance requirements. One who has not spent much time with other children may not be able to handle the exuberance of a room full of peers. Clearly, experience needs to be had. The question is whether or not it is the government's responsibility to provide that experience.
The prerequisites for most kindergarten programs include some basic letter and number recognition, along with independent self-help skills. Barring any special needs of the child or parents, in which case Early Intervention services are important, these milestones are attainable for the majority of children before age 5 without spending several thousand dollars in resources. Bedtime stories, grocery shopping, building blocks, coloring books, and regular dialogue forge the same connections in reading, writing, and mathematics as they did in the acquisition of language and use of utensils. A government funded academic program to meet these early skills is a gross overkill and waste of resources.
There may be a value in preschool though. Many children enjoy the social aspects of preschool programs, while their parents enjoy making use of the time their children spend there, whether for work or personal activities. Despite the potentially mutual benefits, fun and flexibility is not a government responsibility.
Tax-f unded early education does have its place. Statistically, children with unstable home lives, low income families and, in some areas, racial minorities, show the greatest gains when preschool is made available to them. Children from families who cannot provide the quality time needed to build a foundation for learning skills should not be left to languish, unstimulated.
A four-year-old learns best by watching and playing, and all four-year-olds deserve the chance to do just that. Whether at home, in a play group, or in a preschool, parents need to be taking personal and financial responsibility for their venue of choice. Every parent claims to want what is best for their children. It is past time that we remember whose job it really is to provide that.
Learn more about this author, Carrie Weitz.
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