Introduction
The most crucial years for children’s development are from birth until they start primary school. Children who get early childhood education are better prepared for kindergarten by starting to advance and improve their cognitive development at a younger age. Their ability to learn can be significantly improved by starting them in school when they are four. Children learn so quickly and effortlessly at this age because they have the mental capacity of sponges. Here, individuals may determine which areas the child can benefit from a little extra assistance. Preparing children for elementary school can benefit them because preschool improves their cognitive abilities and gets them used to a regimented schedule.
Children struggle with transitioning to kindergarten and adjusting to a new environment and routine, but getting the youngsters exposed to school settings early might help them feel more at ease with learning. Pre-kindergarten is an option for parents, even if it is not required. Everyone should have access to pre-k since it enhances a child’s intellectual and social development. Every parent should have the chance to provide their children with early education to prepare them for primary school. Since preschool starts at four years old, parents should not be required to pay early for their child’s education. Many families desire to enroll their children in early childhood education centers but are unable to due to cost or lack of access to schools with free Pre-K programs. The right to attend preschool should be guaranteed to all children.
Benefits of Universal Pre-K
A formalized school prepares children for kindergarten by introducing the Universal Pre-Kindergarten curriculum. No matter a child’s ability, family finances, or geographic location, its primary goal is to reach them all. Being extensively watched and regulated is one of the main advantages of universal Pre-K. Similar to a regular kindergarten, the curriculum and instructors in these programs are carefully supervised and monitored. The programs are extremely well-liked since they guarantee that every child has access to the most incredible possibilities.
Additionally, universal Pre-K promotes equality and consistency for every child. It is especially crucial for low-income youngsters who have struggled in subsequent courses with their learning. A child’s social development is a further justification for universal pre-kindergarten. A child can engage and associate with people from various social and economic backgrounds in an atmosphere designed for universal Pre-K. This aids in eradicating stigma and intolerance among children since a kid learns to accept those who do not look, behave, or think like them at a young age. Elementary teachers have the authority to change the curriculum and instructional methods in universal Pre-K. Since it builds on what the kids already know, this aids in hastening their primary school learning.
Preschool may not be something some parents think their kids need because they feel they do not need it too much, but that is not necessarily the case. The advantages of enrolling your child in preschool are numerous (Gürer 50). When a kid enrolls in preschool, they start learning new information that may not always be learned at home, such as hearing new words that can expand their vocabulary. In this way, a child can acquire more words and phrases to aid communication and prepare them for reading. Through experiments that might help students prepare for math and science, preschool will also teach new thinking abilities. Children learn characteristics like sharing and interacting with other pupils and developing new academic abilities. It is significant as it enhances a child’s social abilities.
Pre-K and Socializing
Pre-K programs have been established as a first step in getting kids ready for school. It is an important stage in motivating kids to engage in learning thoroughly. It is frequently said that kids will have a greater chance of academic success if they start in the Pre-K program. Pre-K programs may greatly enhance how parents instruct their children (Conger et al. 28). The primary relevance of enrolling children in preschool education is the development of social skills in young children. Social interactions are a fundamental component of educational curricula and have a significant role in children’s development. It is crucial to start developing solid social skills early in life. Since social interactions are an essential component of life, people will always need to engage in them, no matter where they are. It will be fantastic to observe how children engaged in the courses and showed admiration for one another when they could conclude various subjects.
Social skills include more than just verbal and physical interactions while speaking. For instance, they may include showing one another support and admiration. Social contact can help kids communicate better and encourage them to succeed in other areas of their lives (Jang and Dhoi 25). Children can learn better in a setting with more youngsters their age. They can mingle and acclimate to school in this way. Many families that reside in states without free pre-kindergarten and only have access to preschools that charge tuition do not always have enough money to cover the cost of pre-k. Most of them are quite pricey. Thus, pre-kindergarten may save people hundreds of dollars every year. The opportunity for low-income children to receive a quality education at a young age is another advantage of pre-k for all. Classes may become more varied as a result of this. Children exposed to various contexts learn about other cultures and are more inclined to view all people as equals, which leads to more racial tolerance.
Why Parents Should Be Involved In Pre-K
There are many different components to a preschool program. Claudio Sanchez’s piece outlines the benefits of pre-kindergarten for children and shows the skills they acquire at this age (Kaur 64). Explicit education centers on matching letters to words and sounds, learning to count, rich play, art, music, and movement (Kaur 64). Both improve children’s school readiness. These methods help kids prepare for primary school when social, emotional, and physical abilities are equally as crucial as intellectual ones.
Parents should be actively involved in their youngsters’ learning since it may assist the child to succeed and help the parent comprehend what is happening in the classroom. It is true not only for preschool but for the entire grade level. The reasons parents should be active in their youngster’s early education are discussed in further detail in an interview with Professor Susan Ferguson regarding family involvement in early childhood education. Parents are more likely to be active in kindergarten and the rest of the school experience if they are involved in early childhood education (Conger et al. 25). Parents may reinforce a child’s brain development at home by continuing the routines and activities they learn at school. Parents will likely continue using these techniques at home if they know what their children are learning. Children can recall a lot, thus, acclimating them to school routines and activities might help them prepare for kindergarten.
Adverse Effects of Failure to Attend Pre-K
Before starting elementary school, pre-kindergarten is a crucial stage. Many kids have never attended preschool, which has impacted how some of them learn. A Washington Post article by Michael Alison Chandler described research comparing kindergarteners who attended preschool to those who did not (Latham et al. 615). The study revealed that preschool-trained kindergarteners performed higher on arithmetic and literacy tests. The results of the examinations were not as good for the second group, which stayed at home and did not attend preschool. According to this knowledge, all children must have the chance to enroll in pre-kindergarten. Children would not enter kindergarten at the same level if Pre-K had not been implemented; some would lag and require a bit longer picking up skills that other children had previously mastered in Pre-K.
Pre-K should be accessible to all children since it gives them the chance to get a head start on early education regardless of their family’s financial position. Nicole Daniels’ piece from the New York Times, “Should Preschool Be a Right for All Children,” makes a strong case for the value of preschool (Gürer 45). According to her, substantial research has demonstrated that high-quality education is essential for early youngsters’ growth and that low-income children have considerably less access to these programs. It can be observed that many less fortunate kids do not have the opportunity to attend preschool, unlike more fortunate kids whose parents can afford the cost of preschool. Thus, children enter kindergarten less prepared than others.
Disadvantages of Pre-K
Attending pre-kindergarten is beneficial for many reasons, but there are some drawbacks. Most programs charge a lot of money since it may be difficult for the United States to afford preschool for every child that enrolls. Another drawback is that preschool instructors may feel more significant pressure since they will need to do more observations and evaluations to maintain their high standards. Teachers must demonstrate that they are in a top-notch educational setting (Latham et al. 610). Because parents would not have to pay for child care if pre-k was free, businesses that offer child care services, such as daycares, daytime nannies, or regular babysitters, would suffer financial losses. Although this drives some individuals out of business, kids would be able to get higher educations, and parents would not have to worry as much about childcare.
Children behind in their development could find it challenging to fit in at a preschool. For a youngster whose cognitive and physical development is delayed, the nature of school activities could be overwhelming. The youngster could feel excluded because not all preschools have the resources to accommodate the group’s slow learners. With children who have particular needs, such as those who have autism, the issue may be more severe. Autism can cause social interaction in children to be delayed and stimulation overload to occur fast. Consequently, they might not be best served by a traditional preschool (Jang and Dhoi 30). Finding a suitable and valuable program would be crucial. Some full-day preschool programs could become so overly intellectual that preschool resembles first grade. Children should not be exposed to such since they are still learning fundamental concepts and cannot be emotionally prepared for academic work. Even kids who are slow learners but do not have developmental delays can find the pressure to perform overwhelming.
Conclusion
Preschool attendance increases the likelihood that children will learn more and perform better in school. Youngsters that attend preschool suffer from a variety of long-term effects. There exists a correlation between preschool and head starts participation, reduced crime rates, and school dropout. Children also get more sophisticated cognitive capacities as a result of preschool. Because preschool also emphasizes social skills, attending preschool has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to succeed in school. At an early age, teachers teach children how to communicate with one another, how to be kind to one another, and how to respect other children and adults. These abilities would have a long-term impact since they would apply them daily in different contexts, whether at home or in the park.
Preschool attendance should be free for youngsters. They must receive additional assistance since, without it, most of them would not be able to pursue an education on par with others. Children will profit, but parents will gain as well since they will not have to worry about paying for daycare when sending their children to an educational environment where they can connect with other children rather than watch television at home. All New York City children are eligible for free preschool, although this is still not the case in many other states. Children’s early education lays the groundwork for their future schooling.
Works Cited
Conger, Dylan et al. “New Benefits of Public School Pre-Kindergarten Programs: Early School Stability, Grade Promotion, and Exit from ELL Services.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly, vol 48, 2019, pp. 26-35. Elsevier BV.
Gürer, Gözde. “The Opinions of Pre-School Teachers about Students’ Aggressive Behavior.” The Universal Academic Research Journal, vol 1, no. 1, 2019, pp. 42-52. Necmettin Erbakan University.
Jang, Kee Duck, and Sung Yeol Dhoi. “Awareness of the Associated Curriculum of Nuri Curriculum and Primary Curriculum: Kindergarten Teachers, Pre-Kindergarten Teachers, Elementary School Teachers, Pre-Primary School Teachers.” Korean Youth Counseling Association, vol 3, no. 2, 2022, pp. 23-39. Korean Youth Counseling Association.
Kaur, Gurpreet. “Home Schooling – Advantages and Disadvantages.” International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, Volume-2, no. Issue-2, 2018, pp. 92-96. South Asia Management Association.
Latham, Scott et al. “Racial Disparities in Pre-K Quality: Evidence from New York City’s Universal Pre-K Program.” Educational Researcher, vol 50, no. 9, 2021, pp. 607-617. American Educational Research Association (AERA).