Is Preschool Right for My Child
Is Preschool Right for My Child
Boise State University
Psych 487
Is Preschool Right for My Child
It can be a tough decision on whether or not to send your young son or daughter to preschool. The added pressures from family, friends, co-workers and society in general do not make this decision any easier. Although there are many studies conducted on this topic, it is hard to say what is actually best for the child in the long run. Finding true evidence to support either side is somewhat hard to find. When contemplating preschool for your child, you might wonder what the most important factor is when making this decision. This could be your child’s needs, what their personality type is, or what their level of development is. What’s best for your child may be different from someone else’s child.
The thought of enrolling your child into preschool can weigh heavily onto some parents. The teachers and parents that believe that preschool is necessary, stand strong in their opinion just like the parents and caregivers that don’t see preschool as essential. The question has created a rather heated debate with both sides passionate about their opinions. According to Commodari, despite some opinions that preschool isn’t necessary for the first step in education, the majority of Americans do send their children to preschool. In fact, Georgia, New York, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have already started working towards making preschool mandatory for 4 year old children in their state. These states feel they have found good reasoning for this decision. Based on a recent study conducted by the Chicago Child to Parent Centers website, children who attended a pre-K program are nearly 30 percent more likely to graduate from high school, 40 percent less likely to repeat a grade, and 32 percent less likely to be arrested as a juvenile (Commodari, 2013).
Although the statistics look as though preschool is the right option, it is more up to the parent to
Boise State University
Psych 487
Is Preschool Right for My Child
It can be a tough decision on whether or not to send your young son or daughter to preschool. The added pressures from family, friends, co-workers and society in general do not make this decision any easier. Although there are many studies conducted on this topic, it is hard to say what is actually best for the child in the long run. Finding true evidence to support either side is somewhat hard to find. When contemplating preschool for your child, you might wonder what the most important factor is when making this decision. This could be your child’s needs, what their personality type is, or what their level of development is. What’s best for your child may be different from someone else’s child.
The thought of enrolling your child into preschool can weigh heavily onto some parents. The teachers and parents that believe that preschool is necessary, stand strong in their opinion just like the parents and caregivers that don’t see preschool as essential. The question has created a rather heated debate with both sides passionate about their opinions. According to Commodari, despite some opinions that preschool isn’t necessary for the first step in education, the majority of Americans do send their children to preschool. In fact, Georgia, New York, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have already started working towards making preschool mandatory for 4 year old children in their state. These states feel they have found good reasoning for this decision. Based on a recent study conducted by the Chicago Child to Parent Centers website, children who attended a pre-K program are nearly 30 percent more likely to graduate from high school, 40 percent less likely to repeat a grade, and 32 percent less likely to be arrested as a juvenile (Commodari, 2013).
Although the statistics look as though preschool is the right option, it is more up to the parent to
References: Commodari, E. (2013). Preschool teacher attachment, school rediness and risk of learning difficulties. Early Childhood Research. 2, 123-133. Doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.03.004 Andrews, K. (2001). New procedures to assess executive functions in preschool children. The Clinical Neuropsychologist. 15, 26-58. Doi:10.1076/clin.15.1.46.1908