Nurturing the Next Generation: Is Universal 4k the Key?

by Grace Hydinger

In the 1700’s, a German educator named Friedrich Fröbel described children as plants and teachers as gardeners – creating the term kindergarten. Kindergarten is a part of multinational school systems that uses playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and writing to socially and cognitively prepare five- and six-year-old children to enter the schooling system. 4k (four-year-old kindergarten) is a year of school designed for four- and five-year-old children, and the curriculum differs accordingly. While many parents believe that 4k is an expensive and optional step in their children’s educational journey, there is extensive research supporting the benefits of 4k for children – such as educational, cognitive, and emotional preparation to enter the public school system. But these programs do not come without a cost; one year of 4k can cost as much as a year of college in some states. This poses the question: could children and families in the United States benefit from free, universal 4k programs throughout the country, and are there realistic ways these programs can be implemented, taking into consideration cost? And is the payoff of these programs worth the cost?

A good starting point for delving into this topic is to analyze the social developments made by 4- and 5-year-olds in 4k programs during the school year. Children experience emotions long before they are able to regulate them. 4k programs that involve SEL tactics (social and emotional learning) in their criteria allow children to experience, identify, and regulate these emotions, both in their own minds and in the classroom setting (Daniels, 2011). Although each child reaches developmental milestones at his or her own pace, being in an enriching environment with one-on-one support available to children prepares them for the transition between daily activities, and larger transitions, such as entering kindergarten. Another socialemotional benefit that children in 4k experience is the ability to learn healthy peer interactions and form relationships with their peers. SEL’s are criteria implemented in pre-kindergarten classrooms to help children read and identify emotions, as well as navigate their reactions to those emotions. As noted in the academic journal Early Childhood Education, “Children who repeatedly misread emotions may be rejected by peers if they act on those misperceptions . . .as interactions with age mates increase, so do the social and emotional skills required” (Seifer et al. 2004). In order to prevent children from uptaking maladaptive coping methods such as internalizing (the child believing they are lesser than their peers, feeling like an outcast, etc.) and externalizing (emotional outbursts/tantrums, fights with peers), SEL lessons are implemented into the curriculum (Kramer, Caldarella, Christensen, & Shatzer, 2012). A result of this is an improvement in children’s attitude towards self, others and school. Preschool teaches children to take care of themselves, their peers, as well as fostering a positive attitude towards schools and learning (15 Reasons Why, 2022). When children are given the opportunity to learn in a way that interests them, they build a positive association with learning and develop a drive to learn. The emotional intelligence and appreciation for school in young children is greatly developed in the early years, if children are attending preschool programs that are designed and allow them to do so.

Young children also benefit educationally and cognitively from 4k. During their 4k year, children’s pre-literacy and math preparation skills are built. In a stimulating learning environment, children’s curiosity grows. All aspects of a child's development physical, socialemotional, cognitive, language and literacy are related and interdependent. Literacy development begins early in life and is almost directly correlated with academic success. The 2022 America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being assessment conducted by The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (FORUM) found that children who had some preschool experience the year before kindergarten at either a daycare center or a home-based program, directed by a non-relative, did better on math and reading assessments than the 15 percent of children who were cared for by a relative, and the 21 percent who stayed home with parents. (America’s Children, 2022.). Examining the linguistic and literary benefits of 4k, an analysis done by Helen M. Ladd in a collaborative dissertation by The Pre-Kindergarten Task Force tells about the linguistic benefits for dual language speaking children. Dual-language learners "show relatively large benefits from pre-K education", especially Spanish speaking children. Ladd states that children’s quick progress in the classroom can be supported by the fact that since they are learning two languages, they have stronger brain circuits that support self-regulation (Brookings, 2016). We also see heightened results of pre-kindergarten educational benefits in low-income families. In a report by Robert G. Lynch that studied the long-term payoffs of 3-k and 4k, several benefits of 4k were identified during elementary school, throughout middle and high school, and into adulthood. In elementary school, students who attended pre-kindergarten demonstrated higher scores on math and reading tests, greater language abilities, and less need for special education and remedial work. In middle and high school, the same students experienced lower rates of teen pregnancy and parenting, lower rates of drug and alcohol abuse, and higher high-school graduation rates. Into adulthood, these individuals experienced higher rates of employment, higher earning rates, committed fewer criminal acts and were incarcerated at lower rates. The implication of the study is that investing in children keeping in mind that they are going to become adults leads to better outcomes, as opposed to waiting until they are adults to invest in them. Early childhood education builds pre-learning skills and lays the foundation for a successful life by implementing skills such as socialization, linguistic skills, language skills, and behavioral regulation as soon as children begin out-of-family interactions.

Preschool also advantages low-income children to a great extent and benefits them even more than their high income peers and can support family economics. While many prekindergarten studies focus on the benefits of early childhood education (ECE) for the typical child, fewer studies focus on the benefits of ECE for specific subgroups of children. In an analysis by Helen F Ladd, an overview of studies that looked at the effects of pre-k on child development in children of families in the 90th income percentile, and in the bottom 10th percentile. The report reads, “The studies that show differentially large effects for children from disadvantaged families… In addition, Ladd et al. find larger effects for children whose mothers have low education than for those whose mothers are better educated.” The report also notes that there were benefits noted for students from more advantaged backgrounds as well (Brookings, 2016). In addition to this, a 2016 interview with NYC’s Mayor at the time, Bill de Blasio, explains some of the benefits of targeting disadvantaged families with public ECE programs. “They provide these disadvantaged children with enriched family environments: more verbal attention, more enrichment and parenting resources available to disadvantaged, predominantly African-American women, as you say, and single-parent women. It supplements the early lives.” He continues the impacts of having enriched children on parenting - “When the child goes home the child is more engaged and also therefore engaging the parent. We found that. We found that as a byproduct: much more parental engagement among those who got the treatment (attended ECE program) compared to those who were randomized out into the control group. And these were lifetime effects.” (Westervelt, 2016). Another important factor to consider when weighing the benefits of public ECE programs is family economics. Private daycare can be expensive and has become an unmanageable expense or practically unavailable to many families. Preschool can cost as much as $1,000 a month; sometimes it costs even more Many parents must work reduced hours or opt out of the workforce completely to care for their child. Having free, public 4k allows parents to return to work sooner, while their child is in a safe, enriching environment at no cost to them. Public pre-k helps reduce the education gap by providing a free early head start to all families, regardless of economic status. Not only does the educational gap prevent children from achieving, it prevents parents from maximizing their income by working. The socio-economic impact of widespread early childhood education benefits both children and families.

Free, universal pre-k does not come without cost. A major concern regarding universal pre-k is the cost of programs, source of funding, and quality of care. The United States falls far behind many other countries when it comes to preschool participation, and cost is partly to blame for it. A 2018 article by Alia Wong explores the topic. Ron Haskins, a preschool expert who co-directs the Center on Children and Families at the left Brookings Institute, argues that federally funded universal preschool is a “very bad idea”, due to the fact that many states simply do not have the funds to provide these services. And the funding shortfall undermines the quality and effectiveness of programs. A small online survey conducted in November 2022 taken by 10 college students, found that 60% of students supported universal 4k, while 40% stated they did not support the concept. Those who are not in support of universal 4k stated that their biggest concerns would be the source of funding and if funding would mean an increase in taxes - if so, on who, and how much. For others, the concern is less about cost and more about the effectiveness of pre-k altogether. Neal McCluskey, associate director of the Center on Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute, said in a 2014 interview with The Atlantic, “The reality is there isn't a good research basis to say that pre-k is good…Preschool has been oversold. People too often speak as if it’s a certainty that preschool has strong, lasting benefits" (Wong, 2018). The article does, however, state that the immediate benefits for disadvantaged children in 4k are clear, and that preschool contributes to closing the achievement gap. Another argument against universal pre-k comes from The Manhattan Institute, and focuses on the effectiveness of currently existing studies, stating many of them were based on intervention and were not replicable on a large scale in a real school environment. A quote from the same article reads “Studies suggest that many children exhibit higher levels of stress hormones colloquially termed “toxic stress” in child-care environments than they do at home, which could leave a lasting physical impact on their brain architecture” (Eden, 2021, para. 11) In the late 1990’s, the Quebec Family Policy group performed a study on expansion of publicly subsidized childcare supported the idea of “toxic stress.” The quote reads, “Researchers found that childcare caused an increase in hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression, as well as a deterioration in motor and social development. They also found substantially negative effects on health, including an estimated increase of 156%–394% in the likelihood of children suffering from a nose/throat infection.” Pre-K is a two-way street, and the implementation of universal pre-k would mean a massive emphasis on the quality of care and education children receive in order to avoid gaps in benefits children receive, and government insistence.

Free, universal 4k in the United States could ideally provide comprehensive, quality care to all age eligible children, if the parents so choose. Children would spend days or half days in an enriching environment that supports and encourages learning and cognitive development, as well as supporting families by providing opportunities for increased income. The complexities of implementation of these programs are difficult to navigate, including public expenses and quality of care. However, decades of research back up the benefits of preschool and point towards preschools being a worthy investment in children’s future, and our future as a whole society.

References

15 reasons why preschool is the most important decision you can make. (2022). Northshore Christian Academy. https://nca.school/15-reasons-why-preschool-is-one-of-the-mostimportant-decisions-you-can-make/ https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp https://www.brookings.edu/wp-chandlcontent/uploads/2017

America's children in brief: Key national indicators of well-being, 2022. (2022). Childstats.gov.

Brookings Institution. (2016). The current state of scientific knowledge on pre-kindergarten effects.

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Daniels, D. (2011). Supporting Early School Success. Educational Leadership, 68(7), 1822. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ972296

Eden, M. (2021, February 11). The drawbacks of universal Pre-K: A review of the evidence. Manhattan Institute. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/drawbacks-universal-pre-kreview-evidence

Kramer, T., Caldarella, P., Christensen, L., & Shatzer, R. (2009, October 24). Social and emotional learning in the kindergarten classroom: Evaluation of the strong start curriculum. Pre-Kindergarten Task Force. (2010.). Early Childhood Education Journal. 37 (4)303-309. DOI:10.1007/s10643-009-0354-8 https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/05/03/524907739/pre-k-decades-worth-ofstudies-one-strong-message

Sanchez, C. (2017, May 3). Pre-K: Decades worth of studies, one strong message. NPR.org.

Westervelt, E. (2016, December 12). How investing in preschool beats the stock market, hands down. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/12/504867570/howinvesting-in-preschool-beats-the-stock-market-hands-down

Wong, A. (2018, April 26). The case against universal preschool. The Atlantic. https://www .theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/the-case-against-universalpreschool/382853/References