importance of homework in preschool

The Importance of Homework

It’s the bane of many children’s lives, but homework does serve an important educational purpose and it’s helpful for parents to encourage a healthy attitude to homework from an early age.

Going to school all day is enough for some children, so coming home and having to do more work isn’t much fun. However as much as they hate homework, it is an important part of their education and learning. It can be hard work cajoling children into sitting down and dutifully doing any homework they’ve been set, but in the long run it’s definitely worth persisting with it.

As parents, you can play a role by trying to encourage a healthy attitude to homework. Rather than focusing on the negatives (having to sit down and work when they want to go out and play) try and help children see that homework can be fun.

When they’re young, homework won’t be long and arduous and there may be tasks set that you can all join in with and offer insight into. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you do their homework for them, but you can get actively involved in helping them find answers, do research or work through problem-solving activities.

If your child is still very reluctant to do any work at home, then it may also help to offer small incentives. For example, this could be allowing them to go out and play, play a computer game or watch television when they’ve done their homework. It’s probably best to avoid large incentives, such as monetary payments, especially for young children.

Why Is Homework Important?

Homework is an important extension of classroom learning. It helps to cement the ideas that children learn at school (or should be learning!), helping things sink in further and expanding their knowledge. Homework can take various forms, consisting of:

• Solving problems of a mathematical or scientific nature.
• Answering a series of questions.
• Writing creative prose and short stories.
• Keeping a journal of holiday or weekend experiences.
• Writing an essay.
• Preparation for a test, such as a spelling test, where you need to learn certain word spellings.
• Looking things up in an encyclopedia or on the Internet to improve research skills.
• Finding things out about themselves or their families.

The complexity and amount of homework that needs to be carried out obviously increases considerably as children progress through school. The amount of homework given to primary aged children varies, but they are likely to get some on a regular basis. Getting used to doing homework from an early age will definitely be an advantage, as children are more likely to continue doing so as they progress through their school years.

Some schools promote the use of homework diaries, which are ideal for making a note of what homework you’re supposed to be doing. Without them, there are always some children who forget to write down the details or miss what was being said. Not handing in any homework can get them into trouble at school and isn’t a pattern or habit that you want them to caught up in.

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• August 11, 2022

Why Homework Is Important to Kids and Parents

The great homework debate is an ongoing conflict, with  some experts  saying the take-home lessons should be abolished, while others think they should be limited by age or completion time. Despite the controversy, homework is still a normal assignment for most school-age students to receive. So, what’s the importance of homework in a learner’s life? Well, answering the question of why is homework important for students will also answer the question of why is homework important for parents, too.

10 Benefits of Homework

Acts as a bridge between school and home.

Even if teachers and parents aren’t using the margins of a child’s homework to send messages back and forth in writing, a student’s take-home assignments can still be a de facto communication network used by two of the people most responsible for their unassuming courier’s continued learning.

When teachers assign homework, it can help teachers and parents unravel the puzzle that is their student’s learning preferences—an invaluable piece of knowledge to have in their quest to encourage enrichment and progress. Additionally, some parents like homework because it provides a window into their child’s daily lessons.

More Time with Material

Despite a teacher’s best efforts, there are concepts that may continue to elude some students even after ample instructional time and effort. That’s okay—children learn in different ways and at different speeds.

During homework, the additional time learners spend engaged with a subject can be exactly what they need to begin piecing things together and grasping the lesson presented in the day’s materials. Homework affords them all the time they need to explore those ideas without the societal pressures or time constraints they may experience in a classroom setting.

Using Resources to Their Advantage

In an academic setting, knowing something means being able to recall it from memory and prove that knowledge on an exam, in an essay or during a conversation. Knowing how to find that fact using an educational resource like a library, a reference book or the Internet can be an equally useful long-term skill, though.

Working from home and having access to resources outside the classroom helps show a child the best avenue for finding the information they require and teaches them to use those tools when searching for relevant, factual information.

An Environment Conducive to Learning

Teachers can devote a lot of effort to making their classrooms feel like welcoming, safe areas that allow for the exploration and internalization of important academic concepts. However, despite an educator’s best attempts, some students may never be able to feel as comfortable as they do when they’re at home.

For those learners, homework exists as a chance for them to interact with the day’s material in their most open, relaxed state. At home, they’re free of the distractions and hindrances of a public place, allowing them to truly be themselves.

This can help accelerate the development of those children since learning while comfortable and in a good mindset is the best way to internalize and memorize the lesson at hand.

Teaches Students to Efficiently Manage Their Time

We’ve already touched on homework’s ability to familiarize kids with resources available to them beyond those they’ve come to rely on in their classrooms. Time management skills are another secondary lesson that homework can bestow upon young people, and it’s an important one to learn if they hope to make the most of their waking hours.

Self-regulating the task of homework helps kids figure out how to manage their own workloads and increases their ability to act autonomously and responsibly. Homework always has a due date, and taking on this due date—with the responsibility of meeting it—encourages independent thinking and problem solving.

If learned properly, time management is a skill young people will carry with them, first utilizing it to manage multiple facets of their life during any post-secondary educational pursuits before relying on it to get the most out of their adult years.

Improves Self-esteem

Whether they’re reinforcing a lesson they’ve already explored or successfully grasping the concepts after a healthy amount of after-school study time, homework can help foster the self-esteem necessary for students to excel in both academics and everyday situations. Taking the lessons learned during class and applying them independently to assignments can do wonders for a child’s self-autonomy and self-reliance. It can also give them the confidence necessary to trust their learning process and fight through failures to their eventual understanding.

Enhances the Next Day’s Lesson

When students explore their take home work, they may find questions they didn’t know they had. This allows each student to have a grasp on the homework and come ready for a class discussion. Effective homework does more than just ask students to complete its tasks before the next class period, it also engages kids and lays the groundwork for an enriching learning session.

Helps Identify Weaknesses

Homework can instill confidence and self-esteem by giving students a safe environment to practice problem solving and self-reliance, but homework can also shine a spotlight on the weaknesses particular lessons may expose in a student’s knowledge. Even if they find these revelations discouraging, identifying areas needing improvement can be just as important—possibly more important—than strengthening self-esteem.

Facing a shortcoming can teach a student how to handle adversity, fixing that shortcoming can help a student learn that progress is possible, and repeating the process can solidify a student’s confidence in their learning process and ability to internalize concepts.

Improves Performance

Benchmarks like grades and academic awards may be external motivators and less effective than intrinsic motivation, but these can also be happy secondary effects of healthier motivational styles—and homework can play a big part in reaching those milestones. Keeping up with after school work can improve student’s grades and scores on standardized tests.

Widen Attention Span

When doing homework, students—especially older students—are responsible for managing their own attention span. There aren’t any teachers at their homes yelling about daydreaming, doodling or other self-imposed distractions. Teachers assign homework, then homework teaches some life skills necessary to excel in high school and beyond.

How to Help Your Child with Homework

Praise hard work.

Making a point to recognize the effort and hard work school students are putting into their out-of-the-classroom learning can help them form a positive relationship with their homework. It can also help craft the act of completing that work into an internal motivation. It’s important to avoid praise that promotes achievement motivation, such as a focus on a specific award or position, but the work a child is putting into those possible achievements shouldn’t go unpraised.

Homework Sessions

On nights when a large amount of homework seems to be a daunting task, make a plan with your young person to tackle their assignments. Splitting work up into sessions helps make tasks more manageable.

It’s Not Your Homework

Help your learner grasp concepts by supporting them and answering reasonable questions, but ensure they’re learning by making sure they’re the ones completing homework.

A Child’s Home Office

Create a dedicated, well-lit area where students can complete homework without worrying about distractions. Keep the area stocked with items they’re frequently using to complete assignments.

Affix Homework to A Certain Time

Routines can help people maintain responsibilities and get used to doing certain tasks. Figure out the best time for your child’s productivity and deem that period as homework or study time.

Discuss Lessons Before Your Child Tackles Homework

If a child feels like the subject of their homework is a little too difficult for them, they could lose interest in a topic or subject that used to make them excited to learn. Even if you have good communication with your learner, this may be difficult to observe, so it’s recommended you speak with kids about the new subjects they’re learning in school and go through some of their homework with them before allowing them to complete the rest on their own.

Check in on your child periodically and provide help where necessary. While checking in, let them know you’re always there to help and they’re never completely on their own. This safety net can be an important part of the learning process.

Monitor A Student’s Progress

Research consistently shows a link between parental involvement concerning the learning of a child and that child’s achievement in a school setting. Homework is an easy, tangible way for parents to see their child’s progress while taking an active approach to their child’s educational career.

Help Your Child Excel at School

Healthy, positive and productive homework habits with the right amount of parental intervention can push a child’s academic performance to the next level. The at-home lessons don’t have to stop there, though.

Virtual learning materials like Juni Learning’s online courses can supplement homework lessons or become one of a child’s out-of-classroom academic resources. Find  Juni Learning’s curriculum overview here  and, when you’re ready,  browse their selection of courses here . Juni Learning can help your child become a more confident student, inside and outside school.

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by Little Sunshine's Playhouse and Preschool

Should Preschoolers Have Homework?

There are some topics that society has deemed controversial in almost every scenario — politics, religion, income levels, whether Taylor Swift is the greatest artist of our time. But for parents, there’s one more topic that can be safely added to the list: homework. There is a big argument among parents, researchers, and educators on whether or not homework is beneficial or unnecessary. Should preschoolers have homework? Are there benefits? Does it make them “competitive” as students?

This article looks at both sides of the argument, but explains why the educators at Little Sunshine’s Preschool decide not to assign homework to preschoolers and those in our pre-K program.

Arguments for Giving Homework to Preschoolers

For context, preschools who assign homework aren’t sending home textbooks and asking for written essays.

For the sake of this article, “homework” and “worksheets” are synonymous. And there wouldn’t be an argument over preschool homework if there weren’t some perceived benefits to worksheets. Here are the reasons some parents and educators are saying preschool homework is important.

• Skill Reinforcement: Those who champion preschool homework say it helps reinforce the skills and concepts children learn in school and gives them additional practice that helps solidify their learning.
• Preparation for Elementary/Middle/High School: Many parents consider the long game when it comes to their children’s education. Homework is often seen as something that prepares kids for what will be expected of them in the future when take-home work becomes more common.
• Parental Involvement: Homework counts as together time … right? It certainly provides parents with a chance to engage with their children and offer support and guidance when it comes to their education.

Arguments Against Giving Homework to Preschoolers

Emotions run just as high for those who argue against giving homework to preschoolers. But for this group, there are more objective reasons that back their thinking. 

• Lack of Evidence: There is limited empirical evidence that supports the idea that homework in preschool leads to a significant “leg up” when it comes to academics. And the research that does exist is a far cry from an endorsement for homework. If anything, it stresses the importance of play and the need for anything done at home regarding a child’s education to be exploratory and engaging. (More on that later.) According to education and parenting expert Alfie Kohn , when it comes to assigning homework in early elementary school at all, “No research has ever found any benefit. It’s all pain and no gain.”
• Developmentally Inappropriate: Critics argue that preschoolers are still in a stage of development where play and hands-on learning are crucial for their growth. If a preschooler who isn’t developmentally ready for homework gets too discouraged, they might “… internalize that they’re not smart or that they’re not good at school,” says Cathy Vatterott , a professor of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and the author of “Rethinking Homework.” And if they think they’re bad at school, they may feel inappropriate levels of …
• Pressure & Stress: In a 2012 article “ Should Preschoolers Have Homework? ”, New York Times journalist Holly Korby did a survey of parents whose preschoolers were being assigned homework. Overwhelmingly, they all reported that the main change that homework made on their households was an increase in stress for everyone. 
• Family Time: Preschoolers need time to bond with their families, engage in creative activities, and explore the world around them. Excessive homework could interfere with these essential aspects of childhood. In fact, teachers often underestimate the amount of time homework takes by about 50% — that’s time that families would be spending together and are instead struggling through homework. And a 2019 Narbis poll found that 65% of parents reported that the stress of homework had negatively affected their family dynamic. 
• Inequality: For preschoolers, homework is a group activity. Parents have to be involved and help them with any assignment a teacher may send home. And if not all the children in a classroom have the same level of support at home, there’s an immediate jumpstart to educational inequality.

Is There a Compromise?  

At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, we feel strongly that homework is not appropriate for the children who attend our program. Our Reggio Emilia Philosophy believes in child-directed learning, which asserts that children are capable of learning and following their interests. Assigned homework is at odds with that concept. Instead, we work with our students in the classroom to create a rich learning environment that fosters learning and fuels their passion for education. Once that flame is lit, we have watched it carry on outside the walls of the classroom and into the lives of students — something that is arguably much more effective than a worksheet. 

If your child’s preschool is assigning homework and you feel they shouldn’t be, feel empowered to have a conversation with teachers about the topic. At the very least, feel confident in making the argument that worksheets don’t accomplish much and, if the teacher insists on going the homework route, that the homework be exploring, playing, and listening to bedtime stories . Ultimately, the emphasis during the preschool years should be on fostering a positive attitude toward learning, curiosity, and social development.

• early childhood education preschool curriculum teaching preschoolers

Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says

A s kids return to school, debate is heating up once again over how they should spend their time after they leave the classroom for the day.

The no-homework policy of a second-grade teacher in Texas went viral last week , earning praise from parents across the country who lament the heavy workload often assigned to young students. Brandy Young told parents she would not formally assign any homework this year, asking students instead to eat dinner with their families, play outside and go to bed early.

But the question of how much work children should be doing outside of school remains controversial, and plenty of parents take issue with no-homework policies, worried their kids are losing a potential academic advantage. Here’s what you need to know:

For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 minutes of homework each night. High school seniors should complete about two hours of homework each night. The National PTA and the National Education Association both support that guideline.

But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. A Massachusetts elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program for the coming school year, lengthening the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. “We really want kids to go home at 4 o’clock, tired. We want their brain to be tired,” Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said in an interview with a local TV station . “We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice, and we want them to go to bed. And that’s it.”

A New York City public elementary school implemented a similar policy last year, eliminating traditional homework assignments in favor of family time. The change was quickly met with outrage from some parents, though it earned support from other education leaders.

New solutions and approaches to homework differ by community, and these local debates are complicated by the fact that even education experts disagree about what’s best for kids.

The research

The most comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. The correlation was stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

Cooper’s analysis focused on how homework impacts academic achievement—test scores, for example. His report noted that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills. On the other hand, some studies he examined showed that homework can cause physical and emotional fatigue, fuel negative attitudes about learning and limit leisure time for children. At the end of his analysis, Cooper recommended further study of such potential effects of homework.

Despite the weak correlation between homework and performance for young children, Cooper argues that a small amount of homework is useful for all students. Second-graders should not be doing two hours of homework each night, he said, but they also shouldn’t be doing no homework.

Not all education experts agree entirely with Cooper’s assessment.

Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, supports the “10-minute rule” as a maximum, but she thinks there is not sufficient proof that homework is helpful for students in elementary school.

“Correlation is not causation,” she said. “Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?”

Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs , thinks there should be more emphasis on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to eliminate homework for younger kids.

“I have no concerns about students not starting homework until fourth grade or fifth grade,” she said, noting that while the debate over homework will undoubtedly continue, she has noticed a trend toward limiting, if not eliminating, homework in elementary school.

The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! How it’s hurting our kids, and what parents should do about it.” The accompanying story noted that the launch of Sputnik in 1957 led to a push for better math and science education in the U.S. The ensuing pressure to be competitive on a global scale, plus the increasingly demanding college admissions process, fueled the practice of assigning homework.

“The complaints are cyclical, and we’re in the part of the cycle now where the concern is for too much,” Cooper said. “You can go back to the 1970s, when you’ll find there were concerns that there was too little, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness.”

Cooper acknowledged that some students really are bringing home too much homework, and their parents are right to be concerned.

“A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements,” he said. “If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”

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Ages & Stages

Developing good homework habits.

Some children get right down to work without much encouragement. Others need help making the transition from playing to a homework frame of mind. Sometimes providing a ten-minute warning is all it takes to help a child get ready mentally as well as to move to the place she intends to work.

There is no universally right time to do homework. In some families, children do best if they tackle their homework shortly after returning home from school in the mid afternoon; other youngsters may do best if they devote the after-school hours to unwinding and playing, leaving their homework until the evening, when they may feel a renewed sense of vigor. Let your child have some say in the decision making. Homework can often become a source of conflict between parent and child—"Johnny, why can't you just do your homework with­out arguing about it?"—but if you agree on a regular time and place, you can eliminate two of the most frequent causes of homework-related dissension.

Some parents have found that their children respond poorly to a dictated study time (such as four o'clock every afternoon). Instead, youngsters are given guidelines ("No video games until your homework is done"). Find out what works best for both your child and the family as a whole. Once this is de­termined, stick with it.

Some youngsters prefer that a parent sit with them as they do their home­work. You may find this an acceptable request, particularly if you have your own reading or paperwork to complete. However, do not actually do the homework for your child. She may need some assistance getting focused and started and organizing her approach to the assignment. Occasionally, you may need to ex­plain a math problem; in those cases, let your child try a couple of problems first before offering to help. But if she routinely requires your active participation to get her everyday homework done, then talk to her teacher. Your child may need stronger direction in the classroom so that she is able to complete the assign­ments on her own or with less parental involvement. One area where children may need parental help is in organizing how much work will have to be done daily to finish a long assignment, such as a term paper or a science project.

If your child or her teacher asks you to review her homework, you may want to look it over before she takes it to school the next morning. Usually it is best if homework remains the exclusive domain of the child and the teacher. However, your input may vary depending on the teacher's philosophy and the purpose of homework. If the teacher is using homework to check your child's understand­ing of the material—thus giving the teacher an idea of what needs to be empha­sized in subsequent classroom teaching sessions—your suggestions for changes and improvements on your child's paper could prove misleading. On the other hand, if the teacher assigns homework to give your child practice in a particular subject area and to reinforce what has already been taught in class, then your participation can be valuable. Some teachers use homework to help children develop self-discipline and organizational and study skills. Be sure to praise your youngster for her efforts and success in doing her homework well.

In general, support your child in her homework, but do not act as a taskmas­ter. Provide her with a quiet place, supplies, encouragement, and occasional help—but it is her job to do the work. Homework is your youngster's respon­sibility, not yours.

As the weeks pass, keep in touch with your child's teacher regarding home­work assignments. If your youngster is having ongoing problems—difficulty understanding what the assignments are and how to complete them—or if she breezes through them as though they were no challenge at all, let the teacher know. The teacher may adjust the assignments so they are more in sync with your youngster's capabilities.

Whether or not your child has homework on a particular night, consider reading aloud with her after school or at night. This type of shared experience can help interest your child in reading, as well as give you some personal time with her. Also, on days when your child does not have any assigned home­work, this shared reading time will reinforce the habit of a work time each evening.

To further nurture your child's love of reading, set a good example by spend­ing time reading on your own, and by taking your youngster to the library and/or bookstore to select books she would like to read. Some families turn off the TV each night for at least thirty minutes, and everyone spends the time reading. As children get older, one to two hours may be a more desirable length of time each day to set aside for reading and other constructive activities.

As important as it is for your child to develop good study habits, play is also important for healthy social, emotional, and physical growth and develop­ment. While encouraging your child to complete her assignments or do some additional reading, keep in mind that she has already had a lengthy and per haps tiring day of learning at school and needs some free time. Help her find the play activities that best fit her temperament and personality—whether it is organized school sports or music lessons, free-play situations (riding her bike, playing with friends), or a combination of these.

Should Kids Get Homework?

Homework gives elementary students a way to practice concepts, but too much can be harmful, experts say.

Getty Images

Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful.

How much homework students should get has long been a source of debate among parents and educators. In recent years, some districts have even implemented no-homework policies, as students juggle sports, music and other activities after school.

Parents of elementary school students, in particular, have argued that after-school hours should be spent with family or playing outside rather than completing assignments. And there is little research to show that homework improves academic achievement for elementary students.

But some experts say there's value in homework, even for younger students. When done well, it can help students practice core concepts and develop study habits and time management skills. The key to effective homework, they say, is keeping assignments related to classroom learning, and tailoring the amount by age: Many experts suggest no homework for kindergartners, and little to none in first and second grade.

Value of Homework

Homework provides a chance to solidify what is being taught in the classroom that day, week or unit. Practice matters, says Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University 's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

"There really is no other domain of human ability where anybody would say you don't need to practice," she adds. "We have children practicing piano and we have children going to sports practice several days a week after school. You name the domain of ability and practice is in there."

Homework is also the place where schools and families most frequently intersect.

"The children are bringing things from the school into the home," says Paula S. Fass, professor emerita of history at the University of California—Berkeley and the author of "The End of American Childhood." "Before the pandemic, (homework) was the only real sense that parents had to what was going on in schools."

Harris Cooper, professor emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and author of "The Battle Over Homework," examined more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003 and found that — when designed properly — homework can lead to greater student success. Too much, however, is harmful. And homework has a greater positive effect on students in secondary school (grades 7-12) than those in elementary.

"Every child should be doing homework, but the amount and type that they're doing should be appropriate for their developmental level," he says. "For teachers, it's a balancing act. Doing away with homework completely is not in the best interest of children and families. But overburdening families with homework is also not in the child's or a family's best interest."

Negative Homework Assignments

Not all homework for elementary students involves completing a worksheet. Assignments can be fun, says Cooper, like having students visit educational locations, keep statistics on their favorite sports teams, read for pleasure or even help their parents grocery shop. The point is to show students that activities done outside of school can relate to subjects learned in the classroom.

But assignments that are just busy work, that force students to learn new concepts at home, or that are overly time-consuming can be counterproductive, experts say.

Homework that's just busy work.

Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful, experts say. Assignments that look more like busy work – projects or worksheets that don't require teacher feedback and aren't related to topics learned in the classroom – can be frustrating for students and create burdens for families.

"The mental health piece has definitely played a role here over the last couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the last thing we want to do is frustrate students with busy work or homework that makes no sense," says Dave Steckler, principal of Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, North Dakota.

Homework on material that kids haven't learned yet.

With the pressure to cover all topics on standardized tests and limited time during the school day, some teachers assign homework that has not yet been taught in the classroom.

Not only does this create stress, but it also causes equity challenges. Some parents speak languages other than English or work several jobs, and they aren't able to help teach their children new concepts.

" It just becomes agony for both parents and the kids to get through this worksheet, and the goal becomes getting to the bottom of (the) worksheet with answers filled in without any understanding of what any of it matters for," says professor Susan R. Goldman, co-director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois—Chicago .

Homework that's overly time-consuming.

The standard homework guideline recommended by the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Education Association is the "10-minute rule" – 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level. A fourth grader, for instance, would receive a total of 40 minutes of homework per night.

But this does not always happen, especially since not every student learns the same. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy found that primary school children actually received three times the recommended amount of homework — and that family stress increased along with the homework load.

Young children can only remain attentive for short periods, so large amounts of homework, especially lengthy projects, can negatively affect students' views on school. Some individual long-term projects – like having to build a replica city, for example – typically become an assignment for parents rather than students, Fass says.

"It's one thing to assign a project like that in which several kids are working on it together," she adds. "In (that) case, the kids do normally work on it. It's another to send it home to the families, where it becomes a burden and doesn't really accomplish very much."

Private vs. Public Schools

Do private schools assign more homework than public schools? There's little research on the issue, but experts say private school parents may be more accepting of homework, seeing it as a sign of academic rigor.

Of course, not all private schools are the same – some focus on college preparation and traditional academics, while others stress alternative approaches to education.

"I think in the academically oriented private schools, there's more support for homework from parents," says Gerald K. LeTendre, chair of educational administration at Pennsylvania State University—University Park . "I don't know if there's any research to show there's more homework, but it's less of a contentious issue."

How to Address Homework Overload

First, assess if the workload takes as long as it appears. Sometimes children may start working on a homework assignment, wander away and come back later, Cooper says.

"Parents don't see it, but they know that their child has started doing their homework four hours ago and still not done it," he adds. "They don't see that there are those four hours where their child was doing lots of other things. So the homework assignment itself actually is not four hours long. It's the way the child is approaching it."

But if homework is becoming stressful or workload is excessive, experts suggest parents first approach the teacher, followed by a school administrator.

"Many times, we can solve a lot of issues by having conversations," Steckler says, including by "sitting down, talking about the amount of homework, and what's appropriate and not appropriate."

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Pre-K: Decades Worth Of Studies, One Strong Message

Claudio Sanchez

Some of the nation's top researchers who've spent their careers studying early childhood education recently got together in Washington with one goal in mind: to cut through the fog of studies and the endless debates over the benefits of preschool.

They came away with one clear, strong message: Kids who attend public preschool programs are better prepared for kindergarten than kids who don't.

The findings come in a report " The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects ," and the authors include big names from the early childhood world: Deborah Phillips of Georgetown University, Mark W. Lipsey of Vanderbilt, Kenneth Dodge of Duke, Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution and others.

It lays out the current state of preschool education in the U.S. and what research can tell us about what works and what doesn't.

Among their key findings, drawing from across the research base, are:

We Learned A Lot In 2016 About How Preschool Can Help Kids

• While all kids benefit from preschool, poor and disadvantaged kids often make the most gains. "Researchers who study pre-K education often find that children who have had early experiences of economic scarcity and insecurity gain more from these programs than their more advantaged peers."
• Children who are dual-language learners "show relatively large benefits from pre-K education" — both in their English-language proficiency and in other academic skills. Dual-language learners are mostly low income, Spanish speaking children, often with underdeveloped pre-literacy and pre-math skills. But, says Phillips, "there's substantial evidence now that, because they're learning two languages at the same time, they have stronger brain circuits that support self regulation." That may explain why preschool can help them make quick progress: "Their capacity to incorporate new information and to switch attention from one task to another, these are the skills they bring."
• And yet, the researchers said, that doesn't mean preschool should necessarily be targeted toward poor or disadvantaged kids. "Part of what may render a pre-K classroom advantageous" for a poor student or a child learning English, "is the value of being immersed among a diverse array of classmates."
• Not all preschool programs are alike. Features that may lead to success include "a well implemented, evidence-based curriculum" and an emphasis on the quality and continuous training of pre-K teachers. There's still a lot of research that needs to be done, the study concludes, "to generate more complete and reliable evidence on effectiveness factors."

Currently, the federal government, along with 42 states and the District of Columbia, spend about $37 billion a year on early childhood programs, mostly targeting low-income 3- to 5-year-olds.

When it comes to what preschools should teach, the researchers took on a big question in that field, too: Should pre-K focus on the social and emotional development of children or should it concentrate on what researchers call "skills specific curricula," namely numeracy and literacy?

The research clearly says it's not a matter of either/or.

"What we know is that children bring a vast array of experiences, both strengths and weaknesses," Phillips says. "Some children need more support than others. Some bring vast knowledge and skills."

Instruction built on social and emotional skills, rich play, toys, games, art, music and movement complements explicit instruction focused on things like learning to count and matching letters to sounds and words. Both benefit kids' readiness for school. For researchers, the critical questions now are: What should the next generation of pre-K programs look like? What else needs to happen — in preschool and beyond — to ensure a long-term impact? And how do we connect all the dots in a child's educational trajectory beginning with preschool? That's no easy task considering that half of the school-readiness gap between poor and affluent children is already evident by age 2, before most kids ever get to preschool. Another major hurdle is the disconnect between pre-K and elementary education. Rather than building on the skills that kids arrive with, researchers have found lots of redundancy with kindergarten and first-grade teachers repeating a lot of what pre-K teachers do. This results in what researchers call "dead zones" that squander hard-won gains. "On that count we cannot declare victory," says Phillips. "We need to look at the elementary grades as re-charging stations." Pre-K programs today can also do a better job reaching out to low income families dealing with stress and mental health issues. The home, after all, provides either a sturdy or fragile foundation, researchers say. "We know that poverty and adversity compromises the developing brain architecture and circuits," says Phillips. And while even a high-quality program does not inoculate children from adversity and poverty, it can help mitigate those effects. "Absolutely," says Phillips. "That is pre-K education's primary function."

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Preschool.org

The one-stop resource for preschool parents, teachers, directors, and owners!

Homework for Preschool Students

Homework is a very touchy subject when it comes to very young children. This is probably because when people think of homework, they think of worksheets. That would not be developmentally appropriate for preschoolers, but homework does not have to mean worksheets. Preschoolers do not typically get homework, or at least not in the same way an older child would. The more a child practices a skill though, the better. That is all homework is after all, practice.

For preschoolers, homework can actually be quite a bit of fun since they can practice the skills that they are working on through play and exploration. In preschool, the goal of homework should be to practice a skill and to show parents how they can support their child’s learning. Here are a few things to think about when deciding whether or not to give your preschoolers homework.

WHAT THEY SHOULD BE LEARNING

As with anything in preschool, when you are planning homework activities for your preschoolers it is important to be intentional. Use your observations and assessments of your preschoolers to inform your planning. Their homework should have them working on the skills that they need the most practice with, which means that it should be individualized as much as possible.

Any homework that focuses on fine motor skills, literacy, or problem solving will benefit your preschoolers a great deal and help them reach their developmental goals. Here is a list of things you can have your preschoolers do for homework.

• Playing board games
• Scavenger hunts
• Matching games
• Letter recognition activities
• Scissor skills practice
• Simple crafts
• Sorting by color, shape, or size
• Science experiments
• Sight words games (for those that are ready)

HOW LONG SHOULD HOMEWORK TIME TAKE

Any homework that you give to your preschoolers should be open ended and allow the child to decide how long they interact with it. The more engaging their homework is, the more they will want to do it.

It is important to consider the parents’ time as well. One of the goals of homework in preschool is to teach parents how they can support their child’s learning and development. If the homework takes too long, or is too complicated, the parents will be less likely to have their child do it. Design your preschoolers’ homework to be activities that the parent can engage with them for a time, and then the child can continue on their own if they choose to.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU ASSIGN HOMEWORK

In preschool, homework should never be required. You want your preschoolers to want to do it. If the homework that you give to your preschoolers is fun and engaging, and easy for their parents to implement, your preschoolers will look forward to doing it. You could assign homework every night, or just for over the weekends. It is completely up to you, there is no right or wrong answer to how often you should give your preschoolers homework.

It is important to make any homework that you give to your preschoolers fun. The goal is to foster a love of learning after all. Make sure that your preschoolers’ homework is something that they will get a lot out of, even if they only work on it for a few minutes.

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Homework in Preschool and Kindergarten

Homework from vanessa on Vimeo .

Preschool Homework

To do or not to do, that is the question! The topic of homework for young children is one that is fiercely debated in the field of early childhood education. Many parents and administrators are all for it, many teachers are against it.

Some schools mandate homework for Pre-K because they think it’s going to close the achievement gap, others do it because they think parents “expect it” and still others assign homework because it’s what they’ve always done. There’s a little something here for everyone, no matter what your situation.

Different types of homework has been shown to benefit different populations. The type of program you work in may also dictate the type of homework you send home, if any.

Parents and Homework

My goal for homework in my own classroom is to support and encourage parents as partners in their child’s education. It is my responsibility as the teacher to teach the required skills, but it is the parent’s job to help support me in my efforts. In other words, “It takes a village…” Some parents need more help and encouragement than others, it is also my job to offer that help and encouragement to those who need it.

Reading Aloud to Children as Homework

If you’re interested in reading more on this topic I encourage you to check out the online book study I hosted for The Read-Aloud Handbook .

Meaningful Homework Activities for Parents to Do With Children

The book Just Right Homework Activities for Pre-K offers many meaningful activities that parents can do at home with their children. It includes detailed instructions for parents for each activity as well as blackline masters.

Structured Homework

When working with Title 1 and programs that serve at-risk populations it may be necessary to provide parent training through educational sessions. All parents want to help their children, but not all parents know how to do so.

I created the video at the top of this page to show to parents at our “Homework Help” educational session.

Printable Personalized Practice Cards

With just one click of a button in ESGI , you can quickly generate parent letters for each child in your class along with corresponding flash cards, specifically aligned to each child’s individual needs.

Click HERE to try ESGI free for 60 days and use promo code PREKPAGES to save $40 off your first year!

In the beginning, some components of a structured homework program might include:

• First Name Identification & Writing Practice
• Number Identification and Counting
• Color Recognition- for those that need it
• Shape Recognition-for those that need it
• Letter Recognition
• Books for parents to read aloud to their child (See my take-home book program )

As young children mature and their needs change some changes to the homework may be necessary, such as:

• Last Name Identification & Writing Practice
• Sight Words (for those who are ready)
• Number identification, 20 and up
• Rhyming and other phonemic awareness skills
• Letter sounds

Of course, differentiation for students performing above or below grade level expectations should always be taken into consideration when assigning homework.

How Do I Get Started Setting Up a Homework Program?

Step 1 : Prepare your materials. Prepare the following materials to give to each child.

• Name Card and Letter Tiles : Prepare a name card for every student using ABC Print Arrow font (see resources section) then print on cardstock and laminate. You could also use a sentence strip and a permanent to create name cards. You can use letter tiles from Wal-Mart or Staples or you can cut a matching sentence strip apart between the letters to make the name puzzle.

• Number Flash Cards: You can use a simple font to type the numbers into a document in Word, print, laminate, cut, hole punch, and put on rings. The rings are highly recommended so the cards don’t become lost. You can also find free, printable number flash cards on-line.

• Letter Flash Cards: The letter flash cards at left were made in Word using the ABC Print font, just print, laminate, cut, hole punch, and put on rings. Don’t forget to make one set of upper and one set of lowercase. The rings are highly recommended so the cards don’t become lost.

• Color Flash Cards: The color flash cards pictured above were made by placing color stickers on paper. You can also find free, printable color flash cards on-line. The rings are highly recommended so the cards don’t become lost.
• Shape Flash Cards: You can also find free, printable shape flash cards on-line. Just print, laminate, cut, hole punch, and put on rings.

Step 2: Next, you will need to create a system to communicate what activities you expect your students to do each night. One of the most effective ways to do this is by creating a monthly “Homework Calendar.”

You can download free calendars online that you can customize to meet your needs. In each space on the calendar indicate which activities you want parents to focus on each night, this helps parents from becoming overwhelmed. At the bottom of each space on the calendar there is a place for parents to sign indicating they have helped their child complete the assigned tasks. You can mark each space with a stamp or sticker to indicate your acknowledgement of homework completion. The homework calendars are kept in our  BEAR books and carried back and forth by the child each day in his or her backpack.

If this method is too much for you then you may prefer the simpler Reading Log method .

Step 3: To implement a successful Pre-K Homework Program in your classroom you must meet with all the parents to explain your program. Do not expect your program to be successful without this critical component. Have an informational meeting or “Parent Night” and send home flyers to invite the parents. Make sure to include this event in your weekly newsletter as well.

When having parent education sessions such as this it is best to have some sort of prior arrangements made for the students and siblings to be outside of the classroom in an alternate location so the parents can focus on the information that is being presented.

• After parents have arrived and you have welcomed them and thanked them for attending, show them the homework video (see top of page).
• Next, use your document camera to show them the actual materials they will be receiving. Model how to use the materials and how to do each activity they were shown in the video.
• Show them a sample homework calendar and what to do with it.
• Explain your system for sending materials home in detail, for example will materials be sent home in a bag or a folder?
• Make sure parents thoroughly understand the purpose and expectations for your homework program as well as your system.
• Allow parents to ask questions and thank them again for attending.

You could also create a video like the one at the top of this page to show to parents.

Additional Information:

• Homework should last no more than 5-10 minutes total each night including the book that parents read to their child.
• Worksheets should never be sent home as homework. This sends the message to parents that worksheets are an acceptable form of “work” and it is a good teaching practice when the exact opposite is true.
• Homework at this age should be fun and children should enjoy doing it. Advise parents that if their child does not seem to enjoy homework time they should make an appointment to see you so you can help them determine what is wrong and how to make it fun.
• Emphasize that reading to their children every day is the single most important thing they can do as parents. It is also highly recommended that you show the parents one of the following short video clips about the importance of reading to their children:

How to Help Your Child Read (English) How to Read Out Loud to Your Preschooler (English) Como ayudar a tu hijo leer (Spanish)

Homework Links

• Homework Tip Sheet
• Name homework explanation
• Ways to Help Your Child Learn the Alphabet at Home
• Supporting Math Skills at Home

More Teaching Tips from Pre-K Pages

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The Beginners’ Guide to Connecting Home and School

Here are five steps to engage parents in their children’s education, whether through at-home activities or in-class participation, to help foster academic success.

Editor's Note: This post was co-authored by Joanna Maulbeck , a post-doctoral research associate and professor of education at Rutgers University.

An important component to supporting academic success is the relationships between home and school ( Dodd & Konzal, 2002 ). Strained home-school relations may result in or contribute to low student performance. One way to foster these relations is by creating meaningful assignments and projects that connect life at home to life at school and vice versa, encouraging fluid, connected, and pertinent student experiences. When planning such assignments and projects, consider the questions and ideas below. Whether you use them or simply consider them as building blocks, they could inspire your own amazing ideas.

First, ask yourself three questions:

• How will the students benefit from this project?
• How will the parents benefit from this project?
• How will the teacher benefit from this project?

The best practices that link home and school will benefit all three stakeholders. Think about the needs of each stakeholder (students, parents, teachers) and then consider how you can meet those needs. Below are a few examples of projects and assignments that have potential to benefit all parties involved.

Support Bonding Between Children and Caregivers at Home

It's not uncommon for conversations between children and caregivers to be confined to "How was school today?" Providing an opportunity for children to have an in-depth conversation with adult caregivers could be powerful. One way to do this is through the use of interviews. Have children ask caregivers to share about their lives, perhaps about their best childhood friends or the first time they saw their children. Encourage students to ask caregivers about things they love or are scared of, earliest memories, or hopes for the future. In doing so, children are provided with an opportunity to connect with adult caregivers on a deeper level, as well practice interviewing, taking notes, and writing up results. When back in school, children can share findings, either in writing, through presentations, or both, further tapping into their literacy, as well as public speaking skills.

Redefine Homework

Homework is often seen as a solitary practice where students finish a few pages, read for a few minutes, and then get on with their life outside of school. However, homework could become more interactive between students and adults if the teacher scaffolds the experience for parents. Let them know exactly how you hope they'll be involved in their child's homework. This might be through an interactive notebook, calendar, or maybe even a web page. Also, provide tips for parents about how they can be helpful during homework time.

Encourage Family Outings

Create a list of historic sites, churches, and parks in your area. Almost every town has interesting places to visit that are free or very low cost. Share this list with children and caregivers as a way to encourage a family outing that is also a learning experience. You can ask families to share photos or just a few lines about what they liked or disliked about the site. The photographs and testimony could be saved in a book in the classroom or featured on a bulletin board so that students can share and learn from one another.

Invite Parents to the Classroom

Provide welcoming opportunities for parents to be involved in the classroom, where they can see what happens there and interact with children and teachers. There are various ways to involve parents. You can create a time in your classroom for "15-minute experts" where parents teach the children an interesting or useful skill -- cutting vegetables, changing a diaper, grooming a pet, folding towels, or any number of things. This activity has potential to reinforce students' listening skills. Teachers can also extend the activity by asking students to practice writing "how-tos." Parents can also be invited as guest readers, sharing their favorite stories with the class. Sharing stories as a community has great potential to foster your students' appreciation for literacy.

Teach Real-Life Lessons

It's not uncommon for students to ask, "Why are we learning this? Why do I need to know this?" One way to make learning relevant is to build a connection between home and school by teaching "real-life" lessons that expose students to content which can be used to help them live healthy lives. An example of such a lesson entails finding out how many hours of sleep the children in your classroom need based on their age.

Since effective education entails a partnership between home and school, we must creatively foster that partnership. This can be done through the projects and assignments described above, as well as many other ways. We hope that you will continue the conversation and share your ideas in the comments section below.

• May 8, 2023

The Role of Homework in Preschool Education in Pembroke Pines

Homework in preschool education refers to assignments that are given to young children outside of school hours to reinforce and extend their learning. While some parents may question the value of homework in preschool, research has shown that it has several benefits. In this blog post, we will explore the role of homework in preschool education in Pembroke Pines and offer practical tips for creating effective homework assignments for your child.

The Importance of Homework Homework in preschool education has several benefits, including:

Reinforcing and extending learning.

Homework assignments can help preschoolers retain and build upon the knowledge and skills they have learned in class. For example, if your child has been learning about shapes, a homework assignment might ask them to identify and draw different shapes.

Encouraging Independence

Completing homework assignments independently can help preschoolers develop confidence and a sense of responsibility. By encouraging your child to complete their homework on their own, you are helping them build important life skills that will serve them well in the future.

Fostering Parent-Child Engagement

Homework can provide opportunities for parents to engage with their children in their learning and support their academic development. By working on homework assignments together, parents can help their children understand and apply new concepts.

Creating Effective Homework Assignments

To create effective homework assignments for your preschooler, consider the following tips:

Set Clear Objectives

Before creating homework assignments, establish clear learning objectives. This will ensure that the homework is aligned with the goals of the preschool curriculum and that it reinforces what children have learned in class.

Align Homework with Learning Goals

Homework assignments should align with the learning goals of the preschool curriculum. Consider what skills and concepts children are expected to master and create assignments that support that learning.

Keep Homework Short and Simple

Homework assignments should be age-appropriate and manageable for preschoolers. Keep the assignments short and simple, focusing on one or two key concepts at a time.

Encourage Parental Involvement

Encourage parents to get involved in their child's homework. Provide resources and support to help parents understand the homework assignments and how they can best support their child's learning.

Provide Timely Feedback

Provide timely feedback on homework assignments to help preschoolers understand their strengths and areas for improvement. This feedback can help children feel motivated and engaged in their learning.

Homework in preschool education can be a valuable tool for reinforcing and extending learning, encouraging independence, and fostering parent-child engagement. By creating effective homework assignments that are aligned with the learning goals of the preschool curriculum, you can help your child build important academic and life skills. Remember to keep the assignments age-appropriate, encourage parental involvement, and provide timely feedback. By working together, parents and teachers can help young children in Pembroke Pines achieve their full potential.

At NowTech Academy , we understand the importance of homework in preschool education and offer a comprehensive curriculum that includes engaging and age-appropriate homework assignments. Our experienced teachers are dedicated to creating a nurturing learning environment that supports the academic and social-emotional growth of young children. Contact us today to learn more about our preschool program and how we can support your child's learning journey.

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Reading Elephant

Helping children reach their reading potential.

Is Homework in Kindergarten Beneficial?

posted on April 14, 2017

Your Kindergartner comes home from school and unloads a pile of homework. Most of it’s busy work. As you watch your daughter write a single letter slowly, painstakingly and backwards, you wonder how on earth she’ll finish the whole pile! After a few minutes, she wiggles and asks to go outside and play. She gets frustrated. You get frustrated. You sigh and wonder: is homework in Kindergarten beneficial?

Learning how to read is an interactive process that involves the visual and auditory parts of our brain—areas that respond poorly to worksheets, and well to teacher interaction. Students need to engage with sound patterns in a meaningful way, not simply write them everywhere on a handout.

Homework swallows up time kids would spend reading. Unsurprisingly, reading is the single best activity a Kindergartner can do!

How Much Time Should Kindergartners Spend on Homework?

According to the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Parent-Teacher Association (NPTA), kindergartners should not get homework. That is, kindergartners should spend zero time filling out worksheets. By first grade, kids should not receive any more than 10—blink and you miss it—minutes of homework each day. After-school learning should be dedicated to reading.

A meta-analysis done at Duke University found that homework in early grades is harmful (2006). Lots of homework can leave children with little time to read, sleep and play, and doesn’t actually progress students academically. Unfortunately, national parent surveys report that K-1 graders spend far too much time on homework. Sometimes parents push teachers for homework, without realizing they’ll get handed time-swallowing busy work.

The Cost of Too Much Homework

The cost of too much homework for K-1 students is enormous. Parents are overwhelmed when their child takes an hour to fill out a single worksheet. Kids and parents start arguing, often having their first yelling feud over an unfinished homework packet. Struggling readers rebel against homework, sometimes using aggressive tactics that can seem out of character. They engage with lots of meaningless work, leaving them little time for the meaningful work of reading.

It’s easy for parents of K-1 struggling readers to reminisce about the times family life seemed easier, more serendipitous, full of sunshine, playdates and laughter.

Opt Out of Homework

If your Kindergartner loathes homework, you can usually opt out. If homework in Kindergarten is unproductive busy work, leaves children with little time to read, sleep and play, and takes a long time, there’s no reason to force your child to complete the homework (or secretly complete it yourself). Just opt-out! Talk to the teacher about opting out of homework.

Help your Kindergartner Learn to Read at Home:

Reading leveled books is the best way to improve a K-1 child’s reading skills.

Kindergartners can read short vowel books, consonant digraph books, books with blends and long vowel books. Decodable books teach foundational reading skills like phonemic awareness, blending, automaticity and fluency—all essential skills to get your child to the next reading level. Decodable books build reading confidence.

Change Kindergarten Homework Culture

If you opt out of homework, you can begin to shift the culture in your child’s school. You can give your Kindergartner more time to read, play and sleep. Many parents feel stuck with their child’s burdensome homework. Yet, teachers are often happy to meet the needs of the child. If one parent communicates her concern about the amount of homework, other parents will feel more comfortable doing the same.

References:

Cooper, Harris, Patall Erika & Civey Jorgianne (2006) Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987-2003

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/00346543076001001

http://time.com/4250968/why-parents-should-not-make-kids-do-homework/

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01926187.2015.1061407

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Phonics Books With a Proven Approach

Reading Elephant phonics books are based on proven approaches and sound research. Furthermore, their sequential, progressive nature eases kids from easy to more challenging reading territory. Kids can have fun with phonics by starting simple and moving methodically toward complex. The gradual progression of the stories allows students to gain confidence. In addition, they build fluency and become more precise readers.

Reading Elephant printable books are easy to use. Simply move through the sets and watch your student master each new phonics sound. In each set, there are numerous stories that allow kids to gain fluency.

Each printable book includes the set number and focus sound, allowing the teacher to easily navigate the product.

Our books are appropriate for kindergarten through second grade, but preschoolers can also learn from the simpler ones. The phonics stories are meant to engage and entertain, all while establishing fundamental building blocks for a bright reading future.

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May 2, 2024

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Investigation reveals varied impact of preschool programs on long-term school success

by Columbia University

Early education programs are widely believed to be effective public investments for helping children succeed in school and for reducing income- and race-based achievement gaps. However, a new study conducted by a team of investigators from Teachers College, Columbia University, University of Virginia, University of California-Irvine, and the University of Delaware finds mixed evidence on the long-term effectiveness of today's preschool programs for helping children succeed in school.

The study, " Unsettled science on longer-run effects of early education ," published in Science , examined published evaluations of well-established, publicly funded preschool programs using rigorous designs.

The four evaluations reported a mix of positive, negative, and no differences in the school performance of children who did and did not attend preschool programs in elementary school and beyond.

The study challenges prevalent assumptions within the field, emphasizing the importance of identifying the key factors that foster the development of skills crucial for success in both academic endeavors and life, particularly among children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"Preschool programs have long been hailed as effective interventions, yet our study reveals a more nuanced reality," says senior author of the study Margaret Burchinal, Research Professor in the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia.

"While many presume their positive impact, rigorous evaluations show a mix of outcomes, including both successes and setbacks and, in some cases, no discernible long-term effects. It's imperative that we design preschool programs to uniformly promote school success, especially for children from families with low income."

Burchinal adds, "Crucially, for parents, especially those with limited financial means, access to reliable childcare is essential for workforce participation. Equally vital are public preschool programs that not only offer dependable care but also lay a solid foundation for their children's academic success."

Public opinion towards preschool is shaped primarily by two widely recognized randomized trials that found significant long-term benefits from attending preschool, as well as other less rigorous studies that suggest positive short-term effects and, in a few cases, positive long-term outcomes. However, recent high-quality randomized evaluations of public preschool programs have produced conflicting evidence.

While these evaluations demonstrate positive impacts on academic skills at school entry, it remains unclear whether these programs improve long-term academic success and beyond. Two evaluations of scaled-up pre-kindergarten programs showed mixed results.

The Boston program improved high school graduation rates, while the Tennessee program led to worse outcomes in elementary school. Two other evaluations found no differences in outcomes between attendees and non-attendees. This highlights the need for more research on effective preschool practices.

These four studies paint a somewhat less rosy picture of preschool's ability to enhance opportunities for children than prior studies. The authors argue that the optimistic findings from the earlier widely cited random-assignment studies from over 50 years ago may not carry over to today's programs.

Both programs served small numbers of children, and children who lost the entrance lotteries did not have access to many of the safety-net services and childcare options available to parents today. Although most recent evaluations show public preschool programs improve literacy and math skills at school entry, that advantage fades quickly after children enter elementary school.

The less rigorous studies of scaled-up programs typically rely on limited information about attendees and nonattenders, thereby making it possible that nonattenders differed from attendees on important other factors—such as parenting beliefs and practices—that could account for findings favoring the attendees.

"Our review suggests that researchers should be more cautious when making policy recommendations regarding the effects of public pre-k programs," said Tyler Watts, Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University.

"At present, the best research studies make it hard to predict the long-term effects of these investments. Certainly, we agree that early childhood education is an important area for public investment. Still, we cannot confidently claim that all public pre-k programs produce positive long-term results."

The author's policy recommendations :

• The funding of public preschool programs requires lottery-based evaluations of oversubscribed classrooms. These evaluations should measure a wider variety of classroom practices and follow children in elementary school through high school and, ideally, into adulthood.
• To conduct longer-run follow-ups of existing lottery studies to see if they provide benefits in adulthood. The first lottery-based evaluation of the Boston pre-kindergarten program also did not detect differences in elementary school, so it is important to see if other programs show similar impacts.

Journal information: Science

Provided by Columbia University

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