Learning & Development
Research Report
Estimated Impacts of Number of Years of Preschool Attendance on Vocabulary, Literacy and Math Skills at Kindergarten Entry
Date
March 1, 2006
By W. Steven Barnett and Cynthia Esposito Lamy
2006
Summary
A question of current interest in the national discussion on the availability, cost, quality and effectiveness of preschool programs for young children is how much more children might gain from beginning preschool education at three years old rather than waiting until age four. Especially for preschoolers at risk of poor developmental and school outcomes due to poverty, the question is an important one. This study investigates the relative effects of years of preschool on entering kindergartner’s academic skills (receptive vocabulary, phonological awareness, print awareness and early math skills) in a sample of preschoolers living in high-poverty school districts.
The Authors
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.
Dr. Lamy is a developmental and educational psychologist whose research and writing focuses primarily on children at risk of school failure due to the many influences of poverty.