Why Preschool Matters

Does preschool matter? Do children need it or is it just for fun? Why is preschool so important?

These questions come up often in our parenting communities online and have even been brought to the national stage both during President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address when he suggested that preschool should be made available to every 4-year-old in the country and more recently as bills for government funded preschool are being debated in Washington.

Why Preschool Matters

A child’s brain grows to 90% of its adult size BY age five. That means those first few years before age five are critical.

“Children need to develop a healthy and strong brain architecture,” says Todd Grindal, an education expert at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. “The experiences kids have in the early years have profound effects on their futures,” he continues. 

Raising IQ

Sending a child to preschool was found to raise his or her IQ by more than four points, according to the Association for Psychological Research.

In fact, researchers in Tulsa Oklahoma recently discovered that children who attended a Head Start preschool program there had higher test scores on state math tests up through eighth grade.

That difference not only affects a child’s grades but it can also impact their confidence in their academic ability, their self-perceived identity as a successful student which often leads to a stronger desire to keep pushing themselves to learn.

School Readiness

“A number of large-scale studies demonstrate that participation in high-quality, center-based pre-K programs positively influences all children’s kindergarten readiness,” says Steve Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. “Positive impacts include gains in achievement test scores, including early literacy and math skills, as well as improvements in social and emotional development.”

Social/Emotional Development

According to Nobel Laureate James Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago, the social and emotional development skills gained from early education might be the most important takeaway from preschool

These skills that allow people to communicate, engage, and interact appropriately and effectively with others can have a larger impact on their future than even academic intelligence, says Daniel Goleman in his bestselling book Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ.

Is Preschool Necessary?

As we post helpful information on the need for preschool on our social media accounts, like Instagram, some parents and teachers push back saying that preschoolers should just play. They do not need any structured type of education until kindergarten.

We agree with them in part. Play should be a CRITICAL part of early childhood learning. However, we do not believe that one should exclude the other.

The data shows that preschool gives children a substantial advantage for years into their future. When paired with the power of play children gain these skills and advantages in a very natural, organic, developmentally appropriate way.

Can Preschool Be Done Effectively at Home?

There is substantial research to support the impact parents can have on a child’s early education. For example there are extensive findings on improved literacy and even IQ when parents read aloud to their young children daily.

The Huffington Post ran an article stating that children could reap the benefits of preschool from home as long as parents were following a program that included age appropriate activities, outings, and social engagements.

Why Mommy and Me Preschool?

The Mommy and Me Preschool program combines the power of play with the structure of regular lessons that will improve kindergarten readiness and academic outcomes.

While the program was largely built by experienced teachers, it was created specifically for parents to use easily at home with their children. The program supports parents in working with their children at their own pace, spending more time playing and learning than prepping materials, and using resources already available in the home rather than purchasing supplies normally found only in a classroom.

Visit MommyandMePreschool.com to learn more about this at-home preschool program and read the reviews from many parents who have chosen this route for their children.