Preschool
Under the Obama administration, recognition of importance of early childhood education is growing. As a result, many private schools, and some public schools, are offering pre-kindergarten (also known as Preschool or Pre-K) as part of the Primary, or Elementary, school experience. According to the authors Bennett, Finn, and Cribb of The Educated Child: A Parent's Guide from Preschool Through Eighth Grade, the first three to five years of an individual’s life can be the most critical period of their education. During this time period young minds work diligently on several physical, intellectual and emotional developments including, but not limited to: Growth of Curiosity, Formation of character and personality, Social, Brain and Language development.
In addition, the Obama Administration is urging the development and growth of new State funded programs, such as Head Start. Head Start, a program under the United States Department of Health and Human Services, was recorded in 2007 as serving over 22 million pre-school aged children and their families. Head Start works to educate the whole child in addition to providing health and nutrition services to low-income families.
Read more about this topic: Primary Education In The United States
Famous quotes containing the word preschool:
“The academic expectations for a child just beginning school are minimal. You want your child to come to preschool feeling happy, reasonably secure, and eager to explore and learn.”
—Bettye M. Caldwell (20th century)
“The wisest thing a parent can do is to let preschool children figure out themselves how to draw the human figure, or solve a whole range of problems, from overcoming Saturday-morning boredom to dealing with a neighborhood bully. But even while standing on the sidelines, parents can frequently offer support in helping children discover what they want to accomplish.”
—John F. Clabby (20th century)
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)