First of all, parents are the first and should be the most important pre-K teachers. Families care for the children for the first three years with little input from public schools. They are the ones responsible for the nutrition that will get the student started right. They are the ones who should talk to the children from the moment of birth, who should read to them every day, who need to make sure their medical needs are met, who give the hugs and kisses that will tell the children they are important and loved, and who will see that the child has adequate sleep and a great environment.
If children do not get the care they need for the first three years, pre-K school becomes almost essential. Even if they get great care, they should attend pre-K classes for at least a year. As a former kindergarten teacher I can attest to the fact that you can quite easily tell which children attended pre-K. Studies have shown that the boost students get from early education lasts throughout their primary years and into upper grades.
Students that attend a good pre-K program will not only enter school with a background that will help them with their reading skills and math skills, but even more important are the social and emotional skills. They will enter school more able to listen and learn and to work with others. They will know what is expected of them as students. This means that from the moment they enter school they will be prepared to maximize their possibilities.
Thus, the answer is that monies spent on pre-K be more than returned by the value gained by our students.
For tomorrow, Testing: Is It Accomplishing Its Goal or Is It too Much?
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