WHY PRESCHOOL IS
IMPORTANT IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT?

Why would anyone send their child to preschool? From the moment a child starts school, they are in a new world of responsibility and commitment that will follow them for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, kids just need to be kids and play for a little bit longer, so why send them to preschool before regular school actually starts?

But what if we told you that the positive effects of preschool way outweigh staying home for a couple more years, and that attending preschool actually makes childhood better? It may seem counterintuitive to send children to school even earlier than age 5, when they could be soaking in the final years of their childlike “freedom,” but there is increasing evidence on the importance of preschool.

It contributes to higher academic achievement, more interest in the world, and better social and communication skills. Preschool fosters a safe space for children to interact with each other and learn how to use play to explore and strengthen their communication, through stimulating their brains and curiosity.

Still not convinced? Let’s talk about why preschool matters.

What is Preschool?

First off, what exactly is preschool? While there is some structure involved, preschool is generally a loose learning environment that focuses mainly on fostering play, social interaction, and plants the seeds for an excitement to learn. Preschool is for children ages 2-4 and is a precursor to Kindergarten (from age 4 or 5 depending on the country), where more traditional, structured schooling generally begins.

The importance of preschool is that it is usually the first interaction children have with other children and adults outside of the family in an educational environment.

Preschool for Early Brain Development

Why preschool matters isn’t just because it gets a child interacting with others in preparation for kindergarten, but the biggest of the positive effects of preschool is that it builds and develops young brains more than staying at home would. This results in children more capable and excited about learning when the time for school actually comes.

The first five years of a child’s life are the most formative when it comes to building the foundations for life, education, health, and relationships, so because preschool falls in exactly that time frame, it has a key role in developing those skills.

Play for the Best Brain Development

A major importance of preschool is that it encourages and embraces play, which is crucial in the development of motor skills, problem solving, independence, and cooperation since in preschool, it is facilitated with other children all learning how to navigate these new social structures. Play is fun! And children under 5 learn a tremendous amount in using their imagination from play, which fuels the fire for their love of learning.

Play also involves experimentation alone and with other children who could provide some obstacles that children then learn how to overcome in a low stakes environment. Resolving these disputes, recalibrating their intents, and making connections between problem solving and fun set children’s brains up for learning in school and beyond.

Academic Benefits of Preschool

Now we know that through play, children develop brains ready and wanting to embrace formal education, but the academic benefits of preschool only start there. Children who associate going to school with enjoyable learning in preschool bring that connection over to kindergarten where they are more stimulated to learn how to read, write, and problem solve in a more complex way and have the desire to.

In a US study, children who attended preschool before age 4, compared to those who did not have a structured learning environment before kindergarten, did better academically and scored higher on tests in their primary education. The study went on to say that their academic success early on gave them the confidence and positive relationship with learning to continue on to higher achievement later in high school and higher education.

All of these examples go to show that the academic benefits of preschool mainly stem from the confidence and relationship with learning instilled in children in these crucial early developmental years.

Social and Emotional Benefits of Preschool

While every child is different, more advanced social and emotional skills are huge positive effects of preschool. Children who embrace play with their peers while their brain is still in a highly developing stage have more confidence and curiosity, making them more well rounded.

In addition to the academic benefits of preschool, preschool provides solid emotional, social, and language development to children to prepare them to be better learners. This is present across countries and cultures, proving that early years education is vital for all.

Because the statistics are clear, many countries have recognized the importance of preschool and introduced free universal preschool to all children ages 2-4. The UK is one of those countries, and already 12 years after they introduced free preschool, over 66% of British children already exhibited signs of better overall development, compared to American children before starting kindergarten.

Technology in Modern Preschool Education

All the positive effects of preschool we’ve discussed so far are, of course, only attainable in ideal situations where every child can attend preschool free of charge to explore and learn with other children. Unfortunately, the opposite is true in most countries where preschool is not free, not accessible, not safe, or not encouraged.

For those living in poverty, sending a child away to play and learn is not a good use of time or resources when they could be working or supporting the family. This is where organizations like NARA Education come in to support these communities by providing access to schools and tools like technology to fill in the gaps and give these children a baseline preschool education.

Through technology and virtual preschooling, where children learn and play on chromebooks and tablets supervised by an offsite teacher, they can more easily gain all the positive effects of preschool and the academic benefits of preschool so that they can be better positioned for more advanced schooling. For many of these children, any kind of schooling would have been out of the question due to the lack of access or cultural limitations, but if we start them with technology and a modern preschool education, they can build a new future for themselves.

Conclusion

So we should actually revisit our first question and instead ask, why wouldn’t anyone send their child to preschool? The importance of preschool is obvious now as there is more proof that it boosts early brain development, better equipping children with academic, social, and emotional benefits. But most importantly, playing, interacting, and problem solving with other children their age prepares them to be enthusiastic critical thinkers further in their academic careers and in their lives.

This is why preschool matters, and why even when the resources aren’t there, using technology to create a modern preschool experience is more important than ever.

Help all kids have access to a preschool education! Donate to NARA Education today.

About Author

Ilona Sindhu

Ilona is a writer focused on Old Norse Mythology, drawing from her Hungarian, Pakistani, and Texan roots. She holds a BA in Dramaturgy and Theatre History from NYU, an MS in Religion and Literature from the University of Edinburgh, and is currently working on her PhD. After working in theatre, dance, finance, and academia, her work blends myth, culture, and storytelling across borders.