Preschool

Preschool For All

Last Updated Oct 5, 2008 02:30 PM

Background
There is a growing recognition in California and across the nation of the importance of high-quality preschool in preparing children for success in school and in closing the achievement gap. The achievement gap seen in elementary school that increases in kindergarten and beyond traces back to the young children who come to school unprepared for the expectations of our educational system. More consideration is being given to preparing children for school as educators strive to meet the high expectations of California 's educational reform efforts.

Three major trends have recently focused public attention on the value of children's preschool education: (1) the unprecedented labor force participation of women with young children, which is creating a pressing demand for child care; (2) an emerging consensus among professionals and, to an even greater extent, among parents that young children should be provided with educational experiences; and (3) the accumulation of convincing evidence from research that young children are more capable learners than current practices reflect and that good education experiences in the preschool years can have a positive impact on school learning.1

In the last ten years, an explosion of brain research about children's first five years of life has documented the profound influence of early experiences upon children's cognitive development. An investigation of neurobiology, behavioral and social sciences, concluded that what happens in the first five years of life absolutely matters.2 This period provides a foundation that will support a child all the way into adulthood. The course of a child's development can be altered through effective early childhood instruction.

While preschool advantages hold for all children, poor children show stronger effects in acquiring basic knowledge,3 a finding that addresses California 's unique and diverse demographic needs. In California there is a large increase in the number of immigrant families in which nearly half of all children have at least one parent born outside of the U.S.4 These children are less likely to attend preschool and are likely to have parents who speak little or no English. In addition, 20 percent of California children, ages zero to five, live in poverty.5

However, there is also a definite achievement gap among different ethnic groups in California. In a recent PACE report, Latino kindergarteners scored about 17 points below whites on early language and preliteracy assessments. It is estimated that 8 to 12 points of this gap can be erased if less-advantaged Latino and black children enter preschool programs early (i.e., before age four) and attend school regularly. 6

In California, preschools, particularly publicly funded ones, have had a long, successful history. Today, well over half (62 percent) of all California's young children attend preschool or Head Start programs prior to kindergarten.7

Nationally, the President created Good Start, Grow Smart, as a companion to the No Child Left Behind Act, to encourage states to establish early learning guidelines for preliteracy and prenumeracy. Several states are also moving to implement universal preschool programs, including Oklahoma where children, after one school year, were found to significantly increase their scores in letter-word identification, spelling, and applied problems.8 In addition, over three quarters of the states have developed some form of content standards to guide instruction in their preschool programs.

California is lagging in its efforts to prepare children for success in school and in closing the achievement gap. Universal preschool is an idea whose time has come. These preschools must be of high quality and readily available to all families. Since California kindergartens have become more focused on academic goals, preschools need to strengthen their efforts to help young children gain the skills they need to succeed in school in developmentally appropriate ways.

See also Preschool 531 1 - 5