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Universal Preschool Research

We've compiled research regarding the education of children ages three to five, inclusive of preschool, kindergarten and early education studies and put it all in one, easy-to-find place. In this section, Preschool Research is right at your fingertips!

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Parental Absence Stifles Kids' Learning Young children who experience separation from a parent are at increased risk for learning problems as they enter kindergarten, new research shows. While the emotional and behavioral impact of separation from a parent on young children is well recognized, the study is one of the first to examine the effect on learning as children begin school. Children in the study who had been separated from a parent scored significantly worse than children with intact families in testing designed to measure key early learning issues. by Salynn Boyles May 16, 2008 [More Results from WebMD]
New Study Identifies Three Ways To Lower Pre-K Expulsion Rates The new study identifies ways policymakers can reduce expulsion rates. It is based on data from the National Prekindergarten Survey of 4,800 classrooms in the 40 states that fund prekindergarten. January 10, 2008 [More Results from The Pew Charitable Trusts]
Sugary Drinks Fattening Up Preschoolers Sweet drinks at snack time and before bed are widening preschoolers' waistlines, a new study shows. The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Canadian researchers found that 2- to 4-year-olds who regularly drank sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks and fruit drinks between meals were more than twice as likely to be overweight at age 4 1/2, compared to kids who didn't drink these beverages. by HealthDay News June 25, 2007 [More Results from Forbes]
RAND Preschool Study, Part II RAND's report, County-Level Estimates of the Effects of a Universal Preschool Program in California, predicts local reductions in high school dropouts, grade retention, special education years and juvenile crime. New research from economists at the RAND Corporation shows that a strategic, statewide investment in quality preschool opportunity for all would deliver major education and public safety benefits to local communities. March 27, 2007 [More Results from preschoolcalifornia.org]
Hi-tech toys offer no educational gain, say researchers Parents who invest in toy computers and other electronic games marketed as boosting learning for babies and pre-schoolers could save their money and help their children to learn themselves, according to new research. A government-funded study examining the role of technology in the lives of three- and four-year-old children and their families found that the hi=tech devices - one of the fastest growing sectors of the toy market, aimed at infants as young as nine months - are no more effective than traditional ways of introducing basic literacy and number skills. by Lucy Ward November 14, 2006 [More Results from Guardian Unlimited (UK)]
Children's Social, Emotional & Behavioral Health Plan In the 2005 legislative session, Indiana's elected officials saw the need for a comprehensive children's mental health plan and passed Senate Enrolled Act 529, which includes a chapter regarding children's mental health services. Mental illness can also occur during any stage of life, childhood to old age. Communities, schools, and the workplace are all affected by mental illnesses. Whenever the terms child or children are used, it is understood that parents or guardians "should be" included in the process of making choices and decisions for minor children. August 29, 2006 [More Results from DOE State of Indiana [pdf file]]
Redshirting: A "Moving" Experience The question about whether a child should begin kindergarten when he or she reaches the prescribed age for school entry has "readiness" written all over it. And as we all know, "readiness" is not something that can be easily measured. What variables need to be considered when we think about readiness for? Ask any child who has had to repeat a grade how they feel about having been "left back" and you'll quickly realize how serious a decision this is for parents and educators to make. An early study asked young students to rate a series of stressful events, and being left back ranked third, immediately following "going blind" and "losing a parent." Point made! by Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz August 18, 2006 [More Results from National Center for Learning Disabilities]
Let's Walk before We Run: Cautionary Advice on Childcare Ottawa and the provinces should use their spending powers to ensure access to reasonable quality childcare programs for "at risk" children, rather than launch universal childcare, says a Commentary released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. Childcare programs targeted on disadvantaged families could generate significant benefits, says the paper, Let's Walk before We Run: Cautionary Advice on Childcare, by John Richards, Professor, Public Policy Program, at Simon Fraser University and Matthew Brzozowski, Assistant Professor, Economics, at the University of Western Ontario. While studies show childcare programs benefit children from low-income or single-parent families, who are likely to be disadvantaged in terms of preparation for formal schooling, the net benefits for children from stable, middle-class homes are doubtful, according to the study. Why do "at risk" children clearly benefit? Evidence from US studies suggests that benefits are a function of the gap between the quality of the childcare centre and the home as a learning environment. by John Richards and Matthew Brzozowski August 11, 2006 [More Results from C.D. Howe Institute [pdf]]
Is Universal Preschool Beneficial? An Assessment of RAND Corporation's Analysis and Proposals for California Almost two-thirds of California families currently choose to send their 4-year-olds to preschool.Of those who do, almost half choose a preschool program operated by the state of California, while the other half choose a privately operated preschool. If Proposition 82, an initiative on the June ballot, is implemented those figures will radically change. Most family- and other privately owned preschools will vanish, replaced by government-run, taxpayer-funded preschools. This report assesses RAND Corporation's cost benefit analysis and finds that it significantly overestimates the upsides and drastically underestimates the downsides of universal preschool and the California proposal. Using RAND's own data and alternative assumptions based on the studies they reference, it is easy to demonstrate that universal preschool generates losses of 25 to 30 cents for every dollar spent. by Christopher F. Cardiff and Edward Stringham May 30, 2006 [More Results from Reason Foundation [pdf]]
The Case Against Universal Preschool in California The Institute for American's Future and the Center for American Progress are calling for $325 billion of added federal education spending over the next decade to create a nationwide, universal preschool program. Although the coalition has not released a specific plan, typical universal preschool proposals call for replacing the private parentdriven preschool system with a taxpayer-funded system that would likely add one or two years of "voluntary" preschool for all children onto the current K-12 public education system. Nationwide, at least 40 states provide funding for preschool programs, and at least 28 considered legislation to expand state-funded preschool programs in 2005. by Lisa Snell April 17, 2006 [More Results from Reason (CA)]
Institutionalized Early Childhood Education and Development A 2005 Stanford University research study reported, "We find that attendance in preschool centers, even for short periods of time each week, hinders the rate at which young children develop social skills and display the motivation to engage classroom task According to a report by the Southwest Policy Institute: "Contrary to common belief, early institutional schooling can harm children emotionally, intellectually and socially, and may later lead to greater peer dependency." "Moreover, research indicates that most academic gains shown by normal children schooled early do not last past the second grade." by David Elkind, Ph.D., December 20, 2005 [More Results from Child and Family Protection Association]
New report examines effects nationwide of preschool on kids' development While middle-class children benefit modestly from preschool, youngsters from poor families experience two times the gains in early language and mathematics learning, according to a new study of more than 14,000 kindergartners nationwide. The report - "The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children's Development Nationwide: How Much Is Too Much'" - also examined whether long hours in preschool centers lead to diminishing returns in children's early development. Most surprising, is that the social skills of white, middle-class children suffer- in terms of cooperation, sharing and engagement in classroom tasks - after attending preschool centers for more than six hours a day, compared to similar children who remain at home with a parent prior to starting school. by Kathleen Maclay November 01, 2005 [More Results from UC Berkeley News]
Official: babies do best with mother One of the most detailed studies of UK childcare has concluded that young children who are looked after by their mothers do significantly better in developmental tests than those cared for in nurseries, by childminders or relatives. The study on children from birth to three will reignite the controversy over the best way to bring up young children. It found babies and toddlers fared worst when they were given group nursery care. Those cared for by friends or grandparents or other relatives did a little better while those looked after by nannies or childminders were rated second only to those cared for by mothers. by Yvonne Roberts October 02, 2005 [More Results from Guardian Unlimited (UK)]
Study: Preschool Kids Drive Flu Epidemics When the flu strikes, preschool kids may be the first age group affected, passing the flu on to other people, a new study shows. If so, vaccinating 3- and 4-year-olds against flu might help curb flu epidemics, write researchers in the American Journal of Epidemiology. by Miranda Hitti October 01, 2005 [More Results from FOX News]
What Rob Reiner's Not Telling Us About Universal Preschool If one listens to Rob Reiner and his allies, universal preschool is an education silver bullet. Waving around a recent RAND report that claims that every tax dollar invested in preschool will generate up to four dollars in a variety of societal benefits, Reiner is pushing an initiative that will provide government-paid preschool to all families, regardless of income level. The case for universal preschool, however, is much more porous than Reiner would have Californians believe. by Lance T. Izumi June 15, 2005 [More Results from Pacific Research Institute (CA)]
Pint-size terrors N.Y. pre-K expels 600 kids a year. Overall, more than 600 preschoolers statewide are expelled annually, Gilliam found in his two-year study, called "Prekindergartners Left Behind." One out of every 110 preschoolers is expelled annually from New York classrooms - a rate nearly 18 times higher than the number of older kids booted in grades kindergarten through 12, a study released today found. by Kathleen Lucadamo June 13, 2005 [More Results from New York Daily News (NY)]
Most voters back preschool, even if it means higher taxes A new poll says that most New Jersey voters support boosting state funds for preschool programs so that all 4-year-olds could attend if their parents wanted them to go. Commissioned by Pre-K Now and the Association for Children of New Jersey - two child advocacy groups that want to expand high-quality public pre-K - the poll found that 69 percent of voters ranked getting kids ready for kindergarten a top goal. That's the same percentage as those who ranked reducing taxes as a top goal. by Leslie Brody June 10, 2005 [More Results from North Jersey Media Group (NJ)]
Research Finds a High Rate of Expulsions in Preschool So what if typical 3-year-olds are just out of diapers, still take a daily nap and can't tie their shoes? They are old enough to be expelled, the first national study of expulsion rates in pre-k programs has found. In fact, preschool children are three times as likely to be expelled as children in kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the new study, by researchers from the Yale Child Study Center. Although preschool expulsion rates varied widely by state and type of setting, the study found that on average, boys were expelled at 4.5 times the rate of girls, African-Americans at twice the rate of Latinos and Caucasians, and 4-year-olds at 1.5 times the rate of 3-year-olds. by Tamar Lewin May 17, 2005 [More Results from The New York Times]
Study: Meanness in girls can start at 3 Meanness in girls can start when they still are toddlers, a Brigham Young University study found. It found that girls as young as 3 or 4 will use manipulation and peer pressure to get what they want. The study is the first to link relational aggression and social status in preschoolers. It appears in the current issue of the journal Early Education and Development. David Nelson and Clyde Robinson of BYU are the other authors. May 07, 2005 [More Results from Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)]
Stick to what works, researchers tell preschool advocates and policy makers As efforts accelerate to develop a universal preschool system, advocates and policy makers should focus dollars on blue-collar families, not hand preschools over to public schools. "The worthy cause of extending preschool to all families is gaining steam, money and big-name proponents," said Bruce Fuller, co-author of the report and UC Berkeley professor of education and public policy. "But key pillars of initial programs are founded on the sands of weak evidence, ignoring the lessons from leading states." by Kathleen Maclay May 05, 2005 [More Results from UC Berkeley News]
Epilepsy surgery for kids cuts seizures, ups IQ A study on 50 preschool-aged children with epilepsy who underwent surgical treatment showed significant improvements and left many seizure-free. The article is published in the journal Epilepsia. Researchers conducted this study on how children aged 3-7 years old developed intellectually in the few years following epilepsy surgery. While those with severe epilepsy are at high risk for significant mental handicap, data showed that those who became seizure free after surgery were able to develop better and may actually gain some abilities that they did not have before surgery. April 24, 2005 [More Results from Science Blog]
The Costs and Benefits of Universal Preschool in California Research has shown that well-designed preschool education programs serving disadvantaged children can generate benefits to government and the rest of society that outweigh program costs. As a result of such evidence, there has been a growing conviction among U.S. business leaders, policymakers, and the public that children benefit from structured programs preparing them for school entry. That conviction has been accompanied by increasing enthusiasm for public-sector investment in preschool. March 31, 2005 [More Results from Rand Corporation]
Are Santa Clara County Kindergarteners Prepared to Learn? Released today at a community forum of business, civic and education leaders, Ready for School? A Report on the Skill Levels of Santa Clara County Kindergarteners, assesses readiness in five developmental areas. According to a new study from the Santa Clara County Partnership for School Readiness, nearly 75 percent of preschoolers meet teacher expectations for overall kindergarten readiness, while 10 percent fall significantly below expectations. Additionally, less than 41% of children entering kindergarteners are proficient, or even in progress toward proficiency, in language and communication skills. March 08, 2005 [More Results from United Way Silicon Valley]
Intervention Program Helps Reduce Television Viewing in Preschool Children Preschool children who participated in an intervention program that encouraged reading and eating dinner together as a family, watched less television than their peers who did not participate in the program, according to an article in the February issue. According to information in the article, watching television has several adverse effects on children, including poor behavior and school performance, and higher rates of violence and childhood obesity. The Committee on Public Education of the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests limiting children's television viewing time to a maximum of two hours per day, and discourages television viewing altogether for children younger than two years. Television watching patterns develop during the preschool years, and although intervention programs exist to reduce television viewing in older children, there are none for younger, preschool children. February 10, 2005 [More Results from Bassett Health Care - Pediatrics Research]
Parents go to school on giving kids a good start Police take up the cry to get all 4-year-olds into preschool. The situation in San Leandro is not unique. A statewide survey of publicly funded preschool programs found anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 children waiting for slots in either Head Start, state preschool programs or general child care - all of which serve low-income families.

Sponsored by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California, the survey included responses from about 2,800 state programs, a 48 percent response rate. by Jill Tucker and Katy Murphy February 10, 2005 [More Results from The Daily Review (CA)]

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