New Shanker Study Shows Value of Investing in Preschool
Source: American Federation of Teachers

The Albert Shanker Institute suggests that early, age-appropriate instruction in language, literacy, mathematics and science can have significant, long-lasting effects on preschool children’s social and cognitive skills. Released on Dec. 11, “Preschool Curriculum: What’s in It for Children and Teachers” synthesizes the best research on how young children learn in those academic domains and discusses the implications for improving preschool education. The report also says that aggressive, expanded instruction in these areas may yield economic benefits by reducing the learning disparities between rich and poor children that predate preschool and escalate through elementary and into middle school.

Healthy children demand jump rope Physical Fitness, a Healthy Diet, Brain Based Learning and Brain Development Resources.

“Preschool Curriculum: What’s in It for Children and Teachers” provides detailed, research-driven recommendations for what preschool-age children should be learning. While 43 states and the District of Columbia have adopted early childhood standards designed to prepare children to take on the academic requirements of the elementary grades, these standards are of varying quality, often underestimate what young children are capable of absorbing, and are not always adapted to the unique ways in which young children learn best.

+ Full Report (PDF; 1.5 MB)

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