Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Should Children Go to Preschool?



Katherine Bator


I am an Early Childhood Education major here at Lesley so I obviously feel that early education, especially preschool is incredibly important for children. Preschool helps children to socialize at an early age and gets them out of their homes and gives them new experiences. Most parents are not opposed to the idea of giving their child new experiences and helping them to grow academically, however, many parents are opposed to the prices. Families that are financially stable need to even stop to think about the costs of sending their children to preschool. President Obama has raised some questions after speaking in February. The link to the speech is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCD18Dr4McI .
His idea is great but people have asked what will it do to the US economically and how will the government be able to provide free education for all preschool-aged children when it costs so much. According to babycenter.com, “Depending on where you live and the quality of the preschool, average costs range from $4,460 to $13,158 per year ($372 to $1,100 monthly), according to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).” This is no spare change and many people decide to not send their child to preschool due to these costs. There are many options for preschool between public and private and even at home preschools led by regular parents.
I feel strongly that preschool is important for children’s development; however, I do understand the issue of the costs.

Questions to consider:
Do you think that preschool is important for a child’s academic and social development? Why or why not?
Do you think that preschool should be free?



Sources:

Preschool: How much does it cost? BabyCenter. (2011, July). Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com/0_preschool-how-much-does-it-cost_6061.bc

President Obama full speech in Decatur, Georgia: Early childhood education [Video].         (2013). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCD18Dr4McI

5 comments:

  1. Do you think there are any negative effects from sending children to pre-school?

    -Karen Briggs

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Do you think that preschool is important for a child’s academic and social development? Why or why not?
    Yes I think that preschool is crucial for a child's academic and social development. Preschoolers socialize and interact with peers. They make friends and learn how to be around people. Teachers educate the children, thus impacting the child`s academic development.
    Do you think that preschool should be free?
    Not really, no I don't think that preschools should be free. But I do think that preschools should be less expensive so that parents can afford to put the child to school and work. I know some parents who can't afford preschool so the mom stays at home while the dad works
    --irina

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  4. While preschool has its benefits when it comes to academics and socialization, I do not believe it is worth the thousands that it costs to send children to one of great quality. It doesn't make sense to me as to why preschool costs as much as getting a college education. I understand that they learn many valuable information while they are there, but it is not necessary for a child to grow up and become a successful adult. And I do believe that preschool should be free and of good quality for all children. Where a family stands economically should not be a deciding factor for which children get to go to a good quality preschool, if any.
    Yesenia

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  5. Sarah Widberg---I strongly agree with your last point Kate, and with Irina and Yesenia that preschool-age is an extremely crucial time for young children. They are just starting to become socialized and are able to make connections with other children their own age. I believe that preschool should be free or at least not nearly as expensive as it is right now. It is a bit upsetting to me that most preschools of the best quality are so expensive and therefore many children of lower-income parents are not likely to receive the best quality care and attention they so desperately need at this young age.

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