As of 2019, 33% of four-year-olds do not attend any sort of preprimary programs to prepare them for school. This includes locally-funded, state-funded, and private Pre-k education programs as well as Head Start and special education programs. However, Pre-k programs are important for brain development, as a child’s early experiences are the foundation for learning in later years. Enrolling a child in a preprimary education program, more specifically, a full-day Pre-K, has scientifically proven to be a smart investment for their future.
Preprimary programs increase the school readiness of a child, allowing them to make the most out of the education they are receiving. School readiness consists of the skills a child needs to better transition into school. It is measured and described with four key points. Language and literacy are the first point. In a Pre-k setting, this means listening to words, becoming familiar with them. Through the expansion of their vocabulary, the children who go to Pre-K have a higher reading ability. This was tested with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, a test in which the student is given a word and four pictures; they, then, have to pick the picture that matches the word the best. Students that attended preprimary programs had higher scores, and therefore, a higher reading ability.
The other three points of school readiness are thinking skills, self-control, and self-confidence. Kids must experience a social setting, allowing them learn manners, resolve conflicts, and other social skills. Experiences teach kids how to be curious, make mistakes, and self-confidence allows them to learn from the mistakes they make by adapting and trusting themselves. The Early Screening Inventory test is used as a tool to measure these skills in three to five-year-olds. The test is one-on-one, lasts 20 minutes, and provided information on a child’s school readiness. The test consists of instructions and tasks for the child to perform. It examines visual-motor/adaptive reasoning, cognition and language, and gross motor skills. The results from this test are similar to the PPVT, the school readiness of a child is significantly higher when put through a preprimary program before entering Kindergarten.
The positive effects of attending a Pre-K extend beyond a child’s first school year. According to a study on Oklahoma’s Pre-K program, the difference between students who attended Pre-k and students who did not is noticeable as far as 3rd grade. There are improvements in literacy and numeracy, leading to higher test scores from those students with Pre-K experience. The benefits also go beyond academics. These students also have better attendance and fewer behavioral problems. Overall, the students who attended Pre-K are more likely to be successful in their early academic years, arming them to be successful later in life as well.
By Sarahi
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