by Betty Tesh

Created on: February 05, 2009

Should I send my child to preschool? If I do, will I be taking her childhood away? If I don't, will he struggle to keep up with his peers throughout his education? For many 21st Century parents, there is no option-since both parent's incomes are necessary for survival, their toddler must be enrolled in a public or private preschool. For others, preschool is a choice. Both groups need to understand the purpose of preschooler education to feel comfortable with their decision.

Preschool is intended to prepare a child for school. School readiness requires a broad enough base of knowledge to allow the child to comprehend the educational processes, to draw inferences, to make predictions, and to solve problems. A child who is ready for school can express his feelings and thoughts through language, and can receive information through language. In addition, the "school ready" child has self-management skills (attention, persistence, anger-control) as well as the ability to interact positively with his or her peers. These readiness skills are the main focus of preschool education.

Short-term goals of preschool may include introduction to numbers and letters, skills with learning tools (such as scissors, glue and crayons), socialization, and introduction to the fine arts. The best preschool education may look like play, but it is play with purpose.

Research has shown that early intervention (such as formal preschool education) especially with disadvantaged children, has positive results, such as higher achievement levels throughout the school years, less grade retention, fewer placements in special education. The benefits of preschool education has been seen in Kyrgyzstan, which had a national preschool program while part of the Soviet Union, but lost the program during the years immediately following the break-up of the Union. Teachers in the elementary and high schools saw a significant drop in achievement of children who did not have preschool training. Now that the country is putting a preschool program back in place, they expect achievement levels to increase.

Whether to preschool their children or keep them at home is still the dilemma for many parents. This dilemma can be solved by considering the purposes of preschool. If the parents have the time, the ability, and the financial means to meet the goals of school readiness, their children can be just as prepared as those who attend a formal preschool program. However, if time, ability, or financial means are limited, parents can place their children in preschool, knowing that they are not depriving them of anything, but are giving them tools to make school progress easier.

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