Why Preschool Matters
We talked to Parents advisor Robert
Pianta, Ph.D., dean of the Curry
School of Education at the University
of Virginia, about why good,
affordable early-childhood programs
are important to all American kids.
Keeping You
Informed About
Issues That
Affect Kids
Q You’ve spent your career studying
the preschool system in the United
States. What’s your bottom-line
assessment?
A First, let me clarify something: We really don’t
have a “system.” What we have is a crazy quilt
of early-childhood options, ranging from formal
prekindergarten programs to nursery schools in
church basements and mom-and-pop day-care
centers that only the neighbors know about. There
are excellent programs in each of these categories,
but there are many more that aren’t so good.
Q How big a problem is that?
A It’s a huge problem. More than 70 percent
of children start “school” in some way, shape,
or form by age 3 or 4, meaning they are in a
program that’s intended to help prepare them
for kindergarten. But these kids have such
widely different experiences in their preschool
years that when they enter our formal education system,
the levels of readiness vary enormously. That makes it very
difficult to have an early-elementary-school curriculum that’s
appropriate for all kids. When children enter “real” school,
teachers end up having to meet the needs of those who can’t
even recognize their letters and numbers, as well as students
who are already reading and doing basic math. And beyond
that, I personally believe that every child deserves a high-quality preschool program—no matter where he lives or how
much his family can afford to pay.
Academically, they benefit enormously as well. Research
shows that kids who attend a quality program start
kindergarten with a bigger vocabulary and stronger basic
skills—and they develop habits and attitudes about learning
that stick with them for life. Ensuring quality preschool
programs is the first step toward improving our overall
education system.
Q Does preschool really matter that much?
A Absolutely! Children absorb so much in their early years.
A strong preschool experience gives kids a definite leg up.
They benefit socially by learning to follow rules, to work in
groups, and to get along with different kinds of personalities.
Q So what exactly do you mean by quality?
A There are lots of ways to measure quality, and the ones
we hear about most often are teacher-to-child ratio, an age-appropriate curriculum, an environment that isn’t overly
rigid, and a certain level of academic training for teachers.
Certainly, those are important. But our research shows that
it’s even more important to have educators who really can
connect with kids and provide them with academic and
