Why we should invest in public pre-K

Born Free...
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Children who participate in high quality early childhood education develop better language skills, score higher in school-readiness tests and have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems once they enter school. The Children of the Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study Go To School. NICHD, June 1999 and Investing in Our Children: What We Know and Don’t Know About the Costs and Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions. RAND, 1998.

Children with high quality early learning experiences are 40% less likely to need special education or be held back a grade. Long-term Effects of Early Childhood Intervention on Education Achievement and Juvenile Arrest. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001.

Children from low-income families who participate in high quality early childhood education programs show the most benefits. They repeat fewer grades and learn at higher levels. The Children of the Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study Go To School. NICHD, June 1999, and Investing in Our Children: What We Know and Don’t Know About the Costs and Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions. RAND, 1998.

A child who enters school reading below grade level has only a one in eight chance of catching up. Learning to Read and Write: A Longitudinal Study of 54 Children from First through Fourth Grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1988.

Kindergarten teachers in Georgia , the first state with voluntary, universal pre-K for four-year olds, report that children who participated in pre-K were better prepared for kindergarten, especially in the areas of pre-reading, pre-math and social skills. Kindergarten: The Overlooked School Year. The Foundation for Child Development, October, 2001.

Adults who participate in high quality early childhood education programs during their preschool years are more likely to be literate and enrolled in post-secondary education and are less likely to be school dropouts, dependent on welfare or arrested for criminal activity. Long-term Effects of Early Childhood Intervention on Education Achievement and Juvenile Arrest. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001.