Many government leaders are debating the value of preschool programs, like Head Start. A new Michigan State University study finds students do get an educational benefit from pre-K programs.
MSU researchers compared about 80 children, between 3 and 4 years old, whose birthdays were just weeks apart. Some were just old enough to enter preschool. The others had to wait. MSU researcher Lori Skibbe says the students who attended pre-school got a jump start on their peers in literacy.
"We found that children who essentially made the cut off we’re in preschool earlier demonstrated greater gains in literacy than children who were not enrolled in preschool at this time.”
Other recent studies suggest that pre-K programs do not have long term beneficial effects on students. Skibbe disagrees. She says the programs do help students develop literacy skills they need.
The MSU study appears in the journal, Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
