This article originally appeared in the September-October 2000 issue of the Children's Advocate newsmagazine, published by Action Alliance for Children.

This article is part of a special section on school readiness. Use the links to jump to one of the sections below or to read other related articles.

| School Readiness | What is readiness? | School readiness public policy goals | Ready Schools | School readiness resources | Preschool builds school readiness according to studies | Parents: What you can do to help your children get ready for school | Learning through play | Parents: What to look for at child care or preschool |
Extra resources from the Children’s Advocate bulletin (updated 6-06)

Preschool builds school readiness

Many studies have shown the benefits of quality preschool programs

By Jean Tepperman

Preschool boosts school success

• Children who spend more months in preschool do better on achievement tests in the second grade, have fewer behavior problems in third grade, and are less likely to have to repeat a grade. (National Research Council)
• Children in low-income families who attend preschool do better academically and socially when they get to school and are less likely to repeat a grade or to need special education. (Future of Children)

Quality makes a difference

• Children from low-income families who had attended quality educational child care programs from birth to age five scored better on reading tests when they got to elementary and middle school. At age 21 they scored higher on IQ, reading, and math tests. They were also more likely to be enrolled in or to have graduated from a four-year college, to be working, and to have delayed parenthood. (Abecedarian Project)
• Children who attended higher-quality centers scored better on tests of learning and social skills from kindergarten through second grade. The quality of the preschool experience made more of a difference for children whose mothers had less education. (Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study)
• When child care providers were given access to books and training on using books to boost learning, children in their care scored higher on a range of reading-readiness skills in kindergarten. (National Research Council)
• The Head Start programs that had the biggest positive effects on children's learning were the ones who had the highest-quality educational program and paid the most attention to involving parents.
• Infants and toddlers from low-income families who were in higher quality child care developed better intellectually, gained language skills faster, and scored higher on IQ tests than children in lower-quality programs. (U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau)

Preschool better in the home language

• It's better for children to develop preliteracy skills in their first language, say early language experts.
• The social adjustment of Spanish-speaking children was much better when their Head Start programs were conducted in Spanish. (Head Start) Other studies show that social adjustment is very important in later school success.

Hazards of "drills and skills" preschool

The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation compared three types of preschool programs:

• a high-quality, traditional play-based preschool
• the High/Scope method, a play-based program in which teachers made more systematic efforts to promote learning
• a "drills and skills" program in which teachers used "direct instruction" to boost academic skills.

The direct-instruction program produced higher test scores in the short run. But during their school years, almost half of these students were identified as emotionally "impaired" and in need of special assistance. By age 23, they had many more felony arrests, suspensions from work, and problems with their families. Children from the other two groups had many fewer such problems. n

Sources: Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, National Research Council; High/Scope Educational Research Foundation; U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau; Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study; Abecedarian Project.

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Parents: What you can do to help your children get ready for school

• Talk with and listen to your children as you do daily activities together
• Encourage children to develop specific language skills, such as using adjectives to describe things, following simple directions, expressing needs and feelings, telling a very simple story in the right order
• Read to your children every day
• Take children to the library to choose books to read at home
• Keep books and writing materials (crayons, pencils, paper) where children can reach them
• Point out the printed words in your home and community
• Provide blocks or other materials children can use for building, sorting, and handling
• Sing songs and listen to music
• Give your child opportunities to exercise and develop physical skills such as throwing balls, running, jumping, climbing, dancing
• Make sure your child has plenty of time to play, to explore, to be creative
• Make sure your child has plenty of opportunities to make friends, play, and share with other kids
• Promote good health with nutritious food, enough sleep, safe places to play, and regular medical care
• Encourage your children to do things for themselves when they are ready, such as feeding, dressing, and cleaning up -- even if it takes more time and the tasks are not done perfectly
• Encourage self-esteem by letting your child know that s/he is loved no matter what

Sources: BANANAS, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Ready or not…Preparing young children for the classroom; America Reads Challenge: Ready*Set*Read for Families

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Extra resources from the Children’s Advocate bulletin (updated 6-06)

• Power of Preschool, from California First Five, discusses the benefits of preschool to kids and to society. Also offers tips to help parents find a quality preschool. Online at http://www.powerofpreschool.com;
  In Spanish at http://www.preescolarespoder.com

• Early Childhood Education: Investing in Quality Makes Sense, from the American Educational Research Association, discusses the benefits of high quality early care and education, including school readiness. Finds that high quality programs offer a rich curriculum and a responsive and well-educated staff. Online at http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Research_Points/RPFall05.pdf

• Effects of State Prekindergarten Programs on Young Children’s School Readiness, from NIEER, looks at how five state-funded preschool programs impact children's success in kindergarten. Finds "significant impacts" on children's language, literacy, and math skills.
  Online at http://nieer.org/resources/research/multistate/fullreport.pdf

• Overlooked Benefits of Prekindergarten, also from NIEER, summarizes findings from studies of the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program, Abecedarian Project, Chicago Child-Parent Centers, and Parent Child Development Centers. Finds that -- in addition to preparing children for school and helping them avoid welfare and crime later in life -- children who attended these programs are more committed to school, take better care of their health, and begin on a path to financial stability.
  Online at http://nieer.org/resources/policyreports/report6.pdf

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