Lana Hasanah 1788203010 (Early Education)

WHY IS EARLY EDUCATION SO IMPORTANT?

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), "early childhood is defined as a period that occurs before the age of eight" and during this period a child goes through the fastest phase of growth and development, because at this time, the brain they are developing faster than any other point in their lives, so these years have been very important, in fact, according to the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), enrollment in prekindergarten level education has increased from 96,000 to more than 1 million in the past 30 years. That's early childhood education is very important to educate children from the beginning and certainly has many benefits for our lives.

First, Preschool is one of the keys to improve the achievement gap. Based on a study, researchers have found that 78% of white students were prepared to enter kindergarten compared to 74% of black students. Nowadays, of course everyone's economy is different. This is one reason many parents do not present their children in early education. As Crystal Ayres wrote that, "The preschool average cost depends on where the family lives. According to the National Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies, the average cost range in the United States is $ 372 to $ 1,100 per month ". And this is certainly not cheap. Preschool also offers fees that are even higher than the tuition fees because parents of preschoolers have additional fees that they have to pay in addition to school fees such as security, school supplies, art supplies, registration fees, and field trips all of which have added costs . And in high-cost areas, it is not uncommon for us to see families pay $ 20,000 or more per child, for their children's preschools. However, parents need not worry, all these problems can be overcome because data was obtained last year, Minnesota donated $ 40 million in funding for preschool scholarships for low-income families. And thanks to that money, 5,800 students can attend preschool. And it also helps parents who want to enter their children in preschool basic education and overcome the gap in achievement in children.

Second, the better the preschool, the child will be better prepared to live. This is in accordance with the results of the study written by Matthew Lynch, which shows that students who begin formal education experience, even one year earlier than kindergarten, will have a better academic career future than students who directly enter kindergarten / elementary school. . This is evidenced by research in Michigan that those who attend early childhood education programs are more likely to be employed and have an average income of 33% higher than their absent colleagues.

Third, the number of preschools will make a child more ready to enter kindergarten. Matthew Lynch wrote that, "A study found that children who attend preschool throughout the day are far more ready for kindergarten than children who take part in a half-day program". This was proven in the results of researchers from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affair, they studied 1,000 children aged 3 and 4 years enrolled in 11 Chicago schools. They compared students who attended preschool for 7 hours a day with students attending preschool for 3 hours a day to see at the beginning of school whether they were ready socially and academically to start kindergarten or not. And this study found that 59 percent of students enrolled in a half-day program were better prepared than 81 percent of all preschool participants throughout the day. Another special study was conducted in Canada by Kohen, Forer and Hertzmen, who found that "40% of children who participated in early childhood programs at ages 2 and 3 were assessed by their teachers as being near the top of the class. Their kindergarten is in communication skills, in contrast to only 25% who do not participate in such programs ". In addition, the data also pointed out that, "38% of these children were assessed by their teachers as the best in class in learning skills, compared to 24% of children who did not attend early childhood programs".

Fourth, Preschools can help the most risky ethnic groups, such as Native Americans, to achieve better success. In education, we often hear about the way black and white students struggle in education. The fact is that K-12 American Indian students are the most risky students from any minority group to drop out of school or never enter college. The American Indian Fund reports that, “American Indians who earn a bachelor's degree represent less than 1 percent of all recipients of this degree". So it is not surprising to realize that 28 percent of American Indians live in poverty compared to 15 percent of the general population, and according to U.S. Census figures 2010 reported, "Higher education will open the door to a higher quality of life". Fortunately, the American Indian College Fund Early Childhood Education program acknowledged this and they also sponsored a meeting that brought together 45 representatives from four American Indian tribal colleges who discussed strategies for better early childhood education and family involvement in society.

And the last, Preschools can reduce crime rates in cities like Detroit and save taxes if more children go to preschool. Matthew Lynch also wrote that, "Jose Diaz of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation conducted a research" Cost Savings for Risky Child School Readiness in Detroit and Michigan 'where the findings appeared ". This research was commissioned by Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and showed that investing in early childhood education can reduce Detroit's crime rate and save millions of dollars in taxpayers in the country, according to a story in a study by The Detroit News that said payers Detroit's tax will save around $ 96,000 for every child enrolled in a quality early education program and Michigan taxpayers will save $ 47,000 for each child. This figure comes from adding cost savings for special education, public assistance, childcare subsidies, victims of crime and the criminal justice system and most of the savings come from the criminal justice system. That is why there are currently 38 states offering free voluntary preschool learning programs and almost 1.6 million low income families receive assistance from the federal Child Care Development Fund to pursue early childhood education. And in America, the fund is only one part of President Obama's $ 75 billion plan to expand early childhood learning to provide a stronger foundation for American students to enter kindergarten. That is why children are very important to be included in early childhood education, because the benefits are not only for themselves, but also can be beneficial for the government and others.

So early childhood education is education that is very important and good for the development of a child because the brain in childhood takes what is offered by the environment and a learning environment that challenges and motivates children is the first preparation of children's education. The child's brain is likened to a sponge, where he absorbs whatever is there. This education is useful to form the foundation of life and help develop children's mental and academic. Of course there are many benefits that can be obtained from early childhood education. And to parents do not hesitate and worry again to enter their children into preschool, because now all problems can be overcome for the education of children in the future.

References

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