Research shows that children who attend preschool or Pre-K (Kindergarten) classes are able to achieve letter and letter sound awareness and word calling skills before they attend kindergarten, according to the University of Minnesota. Teachers agree that letter and letter sound recognition are the first steps in the reading process. According to the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, preschool seems to be especially important for children who are English language learners. If these children attend preschool, they develop basic skills for language that help them transition to kindergarten ready to read.
According to Science Daily, students who attend preschool or kindergarten programs are much more likely to graduate high school. In addition, students who finish high school after attending preschool earn on average $2,000 more than their fellow students who did not attend preschool. Also, the study reported in Science Daily found that the students who attended preschool were more likely to own their own homes, wait until later to have children, and save for retirement -- all indicators of former preschool students who were likely not living in poverty.
A study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) stated that because preschool programs encourage reading skills, children approach kindergarten ready to read, which means they are more successful in school. This leads to fewer students dropping out, and more students graduating from high school. Students who attend preschool are less likely to engage in criminal behavior than students who do not attend preschool. The University of Minnesota study found that fewer students were arrested, and fewer still were incarcerated than students who did not attend preschool. The NBER study shows that even if universal preschool were legislated for all children in the United States, the country would save money from a reduction in inmates in the criminal justice system.
According to the University of Minnesota study, students enrolled in preschool programs have a better chance of attending either a community college or a four-year college and graduating. Students also were able to get higher paying jobs that required technical skills -- which meant higher pay. Drug abuse was lower for the preschool group studied by the university as well. For every $9,000 spent on a child in preschool in the study, the researchers found the return was 10 times the amount spent in increased earnings, increased tax revenues, less crime, and reduced mental health costs.