The Benefits of Preschool Programs
Academic research and studies into healthy child development has continued to record the positive impact that preschool programs have on the development of children. The developmental benefits are not just academic. Preschool programs have been shown to impact nearly every area of a child’s life, learning and development, even many years into the future. And the benefits are seen across the socioeconomic spectrum.
The benefits of preschool education programs for children from low income families are especially remarkable, leading to the creation of a number of state and federal programs designed to increase the enrollment of low income children in preschool.
So you might be wondering about some of the details. Keep reading for an introduction to some of the benefits of preschool programs on child development.
Academic Benefits of Preschool Programs
The academic benefits of preschool programs have been well studied and documented. According to a report on the effectiveness of New Mexico’s Pre-K initiative released by the National Institute for Early Education Research, four year old participants showed increases in math, early language and literacy skills.
Another study of Oklahoma’s preschool initiative reported that the study results “provide solid support for the benefits that such a program can have on the test scores of young children of differing ethnic and racial groups and from differing socioeconomic backgrounds.” The authors of the study go on to say that “the program appears to have its largest effects on the Letter– Word Identification subtest, which assesses pre-reading abilities; followed by the Spelling subtest, and finally the Applied Problems subtest.” Because of these statistically solid results, the authors conclude that “our research supports the proposition that a universal pre-K program financed by state government and implemented by the public schools can improve pre-reading, prewriting, and pre-numeracy skills for a diverse cross-section of young children”
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Socialization Benefits of Preschool Education
It should be noted that preschool is first and foremost a bridge between unstructured and structured learning. From
birth to preschool age, your child has been learning a ton about the world and developing verbal and large and fine motor skills. These skills are generally acquired naturally during the course of normal family socialization.
But just because they appear to be easy developments doesn’t meant that they are. In fact, the first years of life are some of the most rigorous and rapid periods of intellectual and emotional growth human beings ever undergo. By the time they are ready to start preschool, children are already well adapted learners.
The role of preschool is to guide learning in a more structured way and to ensure that age appropriate social skills are developed and reinforced.In preschool, children are exposed to learning that is both hands on and gropu oriented, allowing them to develop a sense of a social self. This development in preschool gives them a head start on the type of learning they will be doing in kindergarten.
Preschool Programs at Noah’s Ark Child Center
The preschool programs at Noah’s Ark Child Center are designed to give your child a boost before entering kindergarten. The professional and caring preschool faculty at Noah’s Ark is dedicated to making learning a fun and engaging experience for your child. At Noah’s Ark Child Center, your child will learn about the world, themselves and others in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment. Come visit us or contact us online today!