Early learning
My four-year old daughter is in preschool. I personally, feel that it is an essential stage of life for her. A co-worker of mine recently challenged me, saying that she never saw a need for her children to attend preschool and they turned out perfectly fine. She was basically telling me that my choice of forcing early learning on my child was a waste of time and money. For a few days, I doubted my choice and did some research. What I found in conducting my research was absolutely fascinating and has only reiterated the fact that early learning for children is probably one of the best investments that you can make for your child.
What I discovered in my research, was that children who attend preschool are more likely to get better grades, be more motivated in life, and continue on to get a college education. Children who do not attend preschool are more likely to get pregnant outside of marriage, use drugs and not turn out to be the most upstanding of citizens. Almost all of my friends, including myself, who have college degrees attended preschool when we were younger. Interestingly enough, my coworker's three children may have turned out fine, but none of them has more than a high school education. Even more interesting to note is the fact that her daughter had a baby at the age of 19, and was not married. Coincidence? Whether or not you can tie early learning to how children turn out in their later years can be argued either pro or con. However, the statistics are interesting.
Early learning, such as preschool, teaches a young child how to be structured. They learn how to behave in a classroom. They learn to respect adults, other than their parents and caregivers. Early learning also allows the children to be socialized with other children and learn about respecting one another. Growing up with brothers and sisters makes your children social, yes, but putting them in a structured environment where learning is fun can give young children a positive outlook on school in general. At a young age, they are still eager to please. Early learning mixes incredibly well with children in a preschool age. Their brains are like little sponges - wanting and needing to learn constantly.
You can look at the statistics and agree or disagree with them. When you think about early learning and giving your child a great start to their life, the statistics don't matter. All that matters is that your child is starting their life off intelligently and in a positive manner. What more can you offer your child?
