How important is preschool in raising successful kids?

[Austin]

We see a lot of disdain from fundies and mommy-war warriors about things like daycare and preschool. They talk about warehoused children and they feel that it's obvious to the rest of us dummies that the very best place for any young child, all of the time, is with the mother. Hmmm. . .

Nobel-Prize-winning-economist James Heckman conducted a very interesting study beginning with young children in the 1960s and following them through to adulthood. Two randomly-chosen groups of economically disadvantaged preschool-aged children in Ypsilanti, MI were studied. One group went to preschool and one did not go. Picking up on their lives 20+ years later when these same children were 27, the preschool-attending group were half as likely to be arrested and earned 50% more in wages than the non-attenders. Girls who attended were 50% more likely to have a bank account and 20% more likely to have a car.

For the full story on the study and its conclusions about why preschool made such a difference, you can read (or listen) to the whole article. It's worth the quick read:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/ ... ng-program

[InkyGirl]

I went to two years of preschool, and my brother did not. My brother struggled through middle school and high school. I did great. However once my brother hit college he thrived! He had a higher GPA through college than he ever did in high school. He's now working on his master's degree and doing wonderfully. I graduated college, but was very, very burned out. Just done with the whole school thing. I may go back but it will be a couple of years.

As of right now I don't plan on sending any future kids to preschool, because I know how burned out with school I was, however if there seems to be a social or academic delay I would enroll them with out hesitation. I don't think preschool is necessary for every child.

[Austin]

I went to two years of preschool, and my brother did not. My brother struggled through middle school and high school. I did great. However once my brother hit college he thrived! He had a higher GPA through college than he ever did in high school. He's now working on his master's degree and doing wonderfully. I graduated college, but was very, very burned out. Just done with the whole school thing. I may go back but it will be a couple of years.

As of right now I don't plan on sending any future kids to preschool, because I know how burned out with school I was, however if there seems to be a social or academic delay I would enroll them with out hesitation. I don't think preschool is necessary for every child.

It's a study. Studies such as these look at trends and ask questions about why those trends are so. You might note that the treatment group was half as likely to be arrested as the control group. The study did not show that no one from the treatment group was arrested.

It is not a personal attack on anyone's personal experience with preschool or their plans to send their own children to preschool or not.

[Lainey]

I'm a preschool dropout. :oops:

[Austin]

*face palm*

[dawbs]

It's interesting and I think such studies don't get the attention they deserve.

I WILL say that the fact that it only looks at 'economically disadvantaged' students makes a difference in how it will be perceived though.

Because what one kid will get at home w/ 'middle class' parent vs. what another kid will get at home w/ a 'poor' parent is night and day different.

(that being said, I think the bulk of the studies -not just this one show that a good preschool is a VERY good thing for kids. It's old, but this article is a good one on how studies like this can be so badly misconstrued:

http://www.slate.com/id/2162876/pagenum/all/#p2)

[Guest Anonymous]

I live in a European Union funded area, classed as 'deprived' (though it is not universally so), where full-time preschool is free to all from age 3, but not compulsory til age 5-and-a-schoolterm. Free breakfasts, lunches, after school and holiday clubs are also available to those on relevant benefits.

I have mixed feelings. I am glad it is available, and am happy to pay taxes for it to be so. I don't have kids myself, but kind of sympathise with my friend, who feels emotional pressure to send her son, and also resentment that she misses having her 3 yr old baby boy at home! My eldest-in-the-class niece and nephew both attended preschool from age 3, and thrived, but I used to pity some of their little friends who were born at the opposite end of the school year, who were all grey eyes in the first year. I kind of think 4 is a better age to start school. Only a year later, but a quarter of a lifetime longer just to pootle round the house and take naps whenever.... :D

[InkyGirl]

It's a study. Studies such as these look at trends and ask questions about why those trends are so. You might note that the treatment group was half as likely to be arrested as the control group. The study did not show that no one from the treatment group was arrested.

It is not a personal attack on anyone's personal experience with preschool or their plans to send their own children to preschool or not.

Sorry :oops: I didn't mean to sound attacked I was just relaying that I don't think preschool is vital for success and my reasons why I think that way. I see now it doesn't read that way. I think preschool is great! Just not necessary for success.

Working with preschoolers is a blast though! I swear they say the funnest things!

[Beeks]

I think fundies think the best place is with mom if mom is home, doing the homeschooling. Obviously kids are going to do better if they go to preschool coming from a low-income family that is probably not all that focused on doing pre-school-like activities at home. However, if a child is home with mom doing the same type of work...I wonder if there's any difference.

EDIT: FTR, I never thought I'd send my kids to preschool but my 2 yr old will be going to a special preschool this fall (he has developmental delays) and I think it will be tremendously beneficial for him. So I have nothing against preschool in general. =)

[Lainey]

*face palm*

What? Why the hell is everyone so cranky these days? Jesus.

If you are not being cranky, then please ignore the previous sentence and please accept my apologies. :shifty:

That's an interesting study. I would never have considered preschool to be that important. I agree with whoever said they thought three years old is too young, though--if I had kids, I'd go for 4.

[Austin]

I apologize if I came off as short with you, InkyGirl. I should have made it more clear that it was my intent in posting this topic was to discuss, generally, how preschool may help children attain some important skills that will serve them well later in life.

I realize that everybody has a personal anecdote. But this study does not claim that correlation = causation. It reports observations over the long-term (20 plus years). We can make of that what we will, but since fundies and other extremist sorts of mothers tend to show great disdain for preschool and mothers who choose preschool for their children, I found it interesting that over the long-term, preschool may be the training ground for certain skills that are best mastered during this period of life.

[maybeizfundie]

What is it about preschool that makes those who go successful?

Is it being in a classroom with 15 other kids of the same age?

Or is it what they're learning and how?

Because the one you really can't replicate at home. But if it's more the second, then the disadvantage only comes in if the parents aren't able/willing to teach the child what they need to know and provide appropriate opportunities to relate to others of their peer group and other ages. And that one would be affected by economic or social situations.

[InkyGirl]

I apologize if I came off as short with you, InkyGirl. I should have made it more clear that it was my intent in posting this topic was to discuss, generally, how preschool may help children attain some important skills that will serve them well later in life.

I realize that everybody has a personal anecdote. But this study does not claim that correlation = causation. It reports observations over the long-term (20 plus years). We can make of that what we will, but since fundies and other extremist sorts of mothers tend to show great disdain for preschool and mothers who choose preschool for their children, I found it interesting that over the long-term, preschool may be the training ground for certain skills that are best mastered during this period of life.

Oh! Got it now. Apparently, I am running a little slow today. Hehe.

I have seen some kids benefit socially from preschool. I can see some fundie children learning tolerance in a preschool setting. Preschools often have a diverse group of students and, well, fundie families do not and often seem to discourage diversity. I can remember, vaguely, a girl from my preschool who I didn't get along with who ended up becoming my friend through the activities and simple play times of my preschool.

Plus it seems that nearly all the fundies could learn a little about sharing.

[Boogalou]

Yes but did they look at how many kids were in the company of Godless perverts all day and their early training as communists? Seriously, someone needs to send this article to ZsuZsu. Of course she would dismiss it since it does not contain biblical passages, but still.

I thought the study was really interesting and I think it makes a lot of sense. If you learn 'soft' skills early they will be easier to learn and stick with you the rest of your life. I think it would also be beneficial to only children so they can get out and play with kids their own age and then learn (communist) things like sharing. And also, as the article stated, it creates a better tax base in the long term.

And did people actually read the article?

You might not think of soft skills as skills at all. They involve things like being able to pay attention and focus, being curious and open to new experiences, and being able to control your temper and not get frustrated.

All these soft skills are very important in getting a job. And Heckman discovered that you don't get them in high school, or in middle school, or even in elementary school. You get them in preschool.

That is why they say preschool is beneficial.

[Shirley MacLaine]

I apologize if I came off as short with you, InkyGirl. I should have made it more clear that it was my intent in posting this topic was to discuss, generally, how preschool may help children attain some important skills that will serve them well later in life.

I realize that everybody has a personal anecdote. But this study does not claim that correlation = causation. It reports observations over the long-term (20 plus years). We can make of that what we will, but since fundies and other extremist sorts of mothers tend to show great disdain for preschool and mothers who choose preschool for their children, I found it interesting that over the long-term, preschool may be the training ground for certain skills that are best mastered during this period of life.

I guess the key thing is socialization - a variety of children from different backgrounds, playing, sharing. Everything Kelly Crawford hates, haha. But it's never too early to learn how to play well with others (I mean never too early to be brainwashed by the socialist tolerance-worshippers, amirite).

[lilah]

Preeschool is great for teaching kids about the process of learning. Theres a lot of evidence that the act of being read to has a huge impact on developing reading comprehension skills. Children who are not read to struggle a lot more. Preeschool is also great for inspiring academic curosity, learning to share, listen and take turns.

Kindergarten has becomea lot more academic so preschool has become more important for teaching behaviors that are important for aacademic life.

[Turtle]

Very interesting study!

I send my son to preschool because I work (the horrorz) and also because it lets him play with other kids his own age. I'm not really expecting them to teach him anything important or for him to be more academically advanced than other 3 year olds. Plus, I kind of suck at the whole play-doh, finger painting, ect. deal. It's not that I don't like to do it, I guess I'm just not that creative when it comes to that.

Since the study was looking at a lower income bracket, I can see how preschool would definitely be beneficial long term. At preschool age, kids learn by playing/exploring/interacting. A low income stay-at-home mom probably wouldn't have the resources to provide her little one with the stimulation that a preschool environment can. I have stay-at-home mom friends that can afford playgroup outings, trips to the zoo, museum, ect. They can afford new books and craft materials. So, their kids are getting tons of interaction and exploring new things. When I stayed at home before going back to work, I could barely afford gas to get to the grocery store and back, so I certainly couldn't afford for my son to do all the fun things he currently does in his preschool class everyday.

[keen23]

On a personal note- my oldest did not go to a formal preschool program (there just wasn't one available in our area at the time). She did some worksheets and stuff with the sitter and I did work with her on skills to get ready for kindergarten. But she was behind her peers from day 1. My middle child did almost 2 years of a formal preschool program and a year of private kindergarten, and was/is far ahead of her peers educational skills-wise. Now, my middle did 2 years, because of her late birthday and a change in the enrollment age for kindergarten in our area. I had the option of enrolling her directly into 1st grade or kindergarten in the public school. I figured emotionally she was more of the kindergarten mindset, and that's where I choose to enroll her. Now I'm looking at a situation where my current 3rd grader is struggling and clearly not ready to be in 3rd grade, and my current 1st grader is already completing work for above grade level standards and is bored in 1st grade. I don't know how much preschool plays into this, but the kids were both raised in the same household with the same parents. My youngest started preschool on her 3rd birthday, and just started her 2nd full year of the program on August 1st.

I think preschool is valuable. It may not be worthwhile for all families, but there is a difference between kids who went to preschool and those who did not.

[QueenNocturne]

I went to preschool because my school district at the time wouldn't let me start kindergarten early. (I was testing well above my age level, but every time my parents petitioned for me to start school early, the district flatly refused on the sole basis I was born three weeks after their cut-off date for that year. :/ ) It was fun but I don't think I learned much more than I would have gotten at home...or above what I already knew. However, my younger sister, who developed at a more normal pace, benefited a lot from going to preschool.

I think it really depends on the kid, how far they are in development, and what the particular preschool offers.

[PBrooke]

Even little things can be learned in preschool: using a public bathroom (or one that's not your familiar one at home), for instance.

I went to preschool as a four-year-old, but honestly I don't remember much of it. Then I went to kindergarten, but I was in a state where kindergarten was a half-day affair, so I went in the morning and walked home at lunchtime. Then, about two months before the end of the school year, we moved, to a state where kindergarten was full-day.

Suddenly I had to take on an entirely new set of skills: riding a bus, going to school full-day without a nap, juggling PE classes, art, music, computer, library; eating in the cafeteria and going on the playground every day after lunch; and the classroom itself was far more structured. It was culture shock, to be honest. I can't imagine having done that without being eased into it like I was.

[Kitty]

I never went to preschool. In the state I spent the first 4 years of my life in, I was too young. In England, I was too old.

We weren't expected to take naps. I didn't even know kindergarteners in the US took naps for a while after I moved back to the US.

I'm doing much better in college than I was in high school or middle school. I don't feel burned out. I feel awesome. Can't wait to go back!

I don't think preschool is all that necessary, really.

[gezykah]

My first memory is of playing duck, duck, goose in preschool when I was two. My mom didn't intend to send me that young but she brought me with her when she was signing my older brother up and they suggested she sign me up too.

Yes, I think it helped me academically but more importantly I think preschool is great at teaching children social skills. If I ever have kids I would send them to preschool but not one that puts too much academic pressure on children.

[Lainey]

All I remember about playschool/preschool is a slide that we used to get in trouble for turning upside down (because then it rocked and you could pretend it was a boat!), that one girl was so quiet she wouldn't answer me if I talked to her, and another girl pushed me into a shelf and I hit my head. She panicked and asked me not to tell, so I cried louder. That's why I dropped out--I didn't like that sort of treatment.

I guess I failed at that whole "socialization" thing... :think: I still don't play particularly well with others, so I think the article might have a point.

[xDreamerx]

I think preschools are important to children's socialization and provide a transition step between being at home and being in school full time. It probably helps children to adjust to the idea of school, especially if they have anxiety or reservations about it.

I went to a preschool, as a result I never bothered with Jr. Kindergarten. It was a special preschool for children with disabilities. I liked it because I got to meet other children who were like me. I think it an important experience to my sense of self. It made the "rest of the world" seem easier to deal with because I knew I wasn't the only one. When I got older and went to a regular school where there were 2 or 3 other disabled kids, I didn't feel awkward because I knew there were more out there. Also, going to preschool I met kids with different temperaments. Some were sort whinny and got upset at everything. Some were really shy etc. So I became more used to interacting with different types of people and learning how to find commonality. As an only child the experience was really valuable because I might not learned those interpersonal skills before starting formal school if I hadn't gone to preschool, which would have made things more difficult.

I was taught a lot at home. I could read before preschool. I knew how to count, my colours, denominations of money and so on. But what about the children who aren't? What about the children whose parents are not interested or do not value education? Or the children whose parents are too busy working jobs trying to make ends meet? There are stats that show racial gaps between school achievement later in life. There are studies that show minority students loose more over summer vacation than white students. I'm not sure if this has to do with race so much as it does with poverty and a lack of resources. If you have a parent or parents who are working a lot, maybe they're not there to help with homework. If you are poorer you will be less likely to have access to things like summer camps or extra tutoring. Preschool might be one of the tools we can use to help close the poverty gap. If learning is underlined from a early age, children will have a more positive attitude towards it and perhaps be more likely to continue with education later in life. I'm not saying preschool is the be all and end all. I think after school programs and other subsidized programs would do a lot of good, but preschool is part of the package.

[rachelmom]

I sent my DD to a private preschool for 2 years. I didn't necessarily need to send her to the 3yo program, but I didn't then have to get her on a waiting list for the 4yo program. It was a good transition to full-day kindergarten.