Schweinhart, Lawrence J. “Lasting Benefits of Preschool Programs.” Elementary and Early Childhood Education Publications-Digests 94.2 (1994): Eric. Web. 29 Jan. 2011.
An article, “Lasting Benefits of Preschool Programs” written by Lawrence J. Schweinhart looks at several studies researching the long-term benefits and return on investment of high-quality preschool programs for young children living in poverty. The results of the studies concluded that children involved in a high-quality preschool program were more likely not to be placed in special education classes or to be retained and had a higher high school graduation rate. The High/Scope study reported that participants had positive benefits related to adult crime, earnings, wealth, welfare dependence, and commitment to marriage. The return benefits to taxpayers included, higher taxes paid due to higher earnings, reduced welfare assistance, and reduced criminal justice costs. High-quality preschool programs enable young children to initiate their own learning activities, help parents through involvement with teachers in supporting their child’s development, and strengthens teachers through in-service and support that help them support children and parents. The research suggests that providing high-quality preschool programs greatly reduces problems related to children living in poverty and that these programs need to continue.
I feel that this article will be beneficial to my research topic as it provides information on the benefits of preschool education.
