I say this, the benefits of children attending preschool far outweigh the possible burnout a child might have in the far future. In preschool, your child isn’t sitting behind a desk all day taking notes from the board. Your children are experiencing hands-on learning and social and emotional growth. They learn colors, shapes, numbers, and so much more. But the best part is: they are learning alongside others their age with the same interests. I believe that the earlier a child is introduced to an educational environment, the easier they will adapt in the years to come. The more children your child is exposed to socially, the sooner they can learn how to interact.
Understandably, no parent wants to let go of their child for multiple hours daily, but at what cost? Society is worried about the wrong part of children’s futures. If you let fear consume you and your children’s lives, you’re taking away the good as well. Burnout is possible with or without preschool, burnout is something children can overcome, and isn’t that risk worth it if it shows promise to help their future? Peter Dizikes, an MIT graduate, conducted a study on how much success children who attended preschool will have in college, based on success rates in the past. He states “Children who attended preschool had fewer behavioral issues later on, including fewer suspensions, less absenteeism, and fewer legal-system problems. There are many things that influence whether you go to college, and these behavioral outcomes are relevant to that” (Dizikes, 2023). If you have multiple children, siblings will often fight, but at a certain point, they will need to learn how to interact with children they don’t know as well. They will begin to learn about how society works, and they’ll be in a place that nurtures their mindset.
Let’s discuss positive outcomes for students who don’t come from an English-speaking household. A research study I read, written by Sarah Sparks, states that “Native American students performed better in English/language arts on college placement exams, and Hispanic students had higher GPAs, if they attended preschool than if they had not” (Sparks, 2022). Studies also show how preschool can help future attendance rates. Sara Amadon, a senior research scientist and lead author of the study conducted by Sarah Sparks says “The fact that students were attending school more days, the fact that they were enrolling in different types of courses, indicates some sort of different engagement in and commitment to their education and their schooling” (Amadon in Sparks, 2022). Amadon is telling us that students would be more excited to go to school, because of their positive outlook, which all started because of preschool.
It is extremely important for children to get used to an educational environment before beginning elementary school as it most likely will be overwhelming. So, if you know you have a child who may need a little more help, get them that help by enrolling them in a preschool meant to help nurture their minds. Where trained professionals are given the opportunity to help your children in ways you may not know. Preschool is crucial to your child’s educational and life journey.
References
Dizikes, P. (2023, February 8). Study: Preschool gives a big boost to college attendance. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
https://news.mit.edu/2023/study-preschool-gives-big-boost-college-attendance-0208
Sparks, S. D. (2022, March 29). Early education pays off. A new study shows how. Education Week.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/early-education-pays-off-a-new-study-shows-how/2022/03
VOICES OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS 
I enjoyed reading your post about the benefits a Preschool can have on children. All the research studies you introduce showcase the benefits early education can bring. There’s so much for our children to gain and learn in a nurturing environment with dedicated Pre-K teachers.
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I loved reading your post Gabriella!
I 100% agree that starting preschool at an early age is beneficial, children get to learn and experience so many different things which will be useful in the learning process. As I have experience working in preK myself I can tell that children in pre-K have fun with learning, they have play time with their peers and a nap time after lunch. Children enjoy going to preK, which also helps them with the social, emotional and cognitive developments.
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I agree with you. I believe preschool offers more benefits than potential risks. It’s a place where children engage in practical learning, socialize, and grow emotionally—a foundation that’s crucial. It’s not about traditional desk learning but about nurturing a love for learning and interaction.
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I enjoyed reading your post and, of course, strongly agree with you that preschool potentially has many benefits for young children of all different backgrounds, interests, and learning needs. One thing I would add, though, is that preschool is only beneficial if it’s a high quality program: one in which there’s lots of active, child-centered, developmentally appropriate teaching and learning taking place. Preschools that emphasize sitting still, working in isolation, and mindlessly following instructions from an adult all day have been shown to have few benefits and can even harm young children by instilling in them early on a negative view of school.
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Gabby, thank you for your thorough account of the benefits of preschool. I think it’s important for parents to know just how much their children can gain from early schooling and how these programs can set their children up for success. The part where you talk about children with siblings resonated with me. I’d never thought about how different our interactions with siblings and classmates were until I did my first fieldwork class. A student kept bothering his classmates yet being upset when they didn’t want to play with him. He didn’t understand why his classmates avoided him, and when I spoke to him about it, he said his siblings always play with him even though they tease each other. I explained to him that we are bonded to family, so they are more inclined to forgive us when we bother them. However, our classmates have no obligation to forgive us or be friendly to us if we are not good friends to them. I am definitely butchering this explanation, but the main point is that he was trying to socialize with his classmates the way one does with siblings (which usually involves lots of teasing) and it wasn’t working out for him. Therefore, it is important even for children with several siblings to socialize with children outside their family, as the social rules differ. It will help children develop better relationships in the future.
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