Investing in Preschool Pays Out

Investing in preschool pays out better returns than the stock market

Starre Vartan recently posted an article on Mother Nature Network that has particular relevance for Montessori schools.

She asked, “Do you remember your preschool? I do: six months at my local church program, followed by a couple of years of Montessori school put me ahead of many of the kids I started first grade with. And it was fun — I made friends (two of whom I still know!), and learned beginner French and Spanish. I created colorful art with my first favorite teacher (Miss Katz), sat in a circle and talked about my animal friends at home. I acted as the money-keeper in a play where I designed a crown made from copies of dollar bills. As well, I worked through pages in my workbook and even dealt with a bully. 

After a tumultuous early life that saw me living in three different countries I entered preschool. Because I was abandoned by my mother, I eventually ended up living in New York with my grandmother. There’s no doubt that my preschool experience gave me a social, practical and structural foundation that helped me succeed in grade school and beyond.”

There’s a long-standing debate about whether public early childhood education programs are really all that beneficial. Do public programs justify the taxpayer money spent on them?

A recent study confirms the benefits of preschool attendance

A new study by a group of economists from the Universities of Chicago and Southern California tracked kids born in the 1970s (from about six months of age) to age 35. This study included data collected through age 8 on both academic and home-life factors. Results also show follow-ups for kids who attended a public preschool program for low-income parents.

What did they find? According to the study, early childhood education intervention “has substantial beneficial impacts on (a) health and the quality of life, (b) the labor incomes of participants, (c) crime, (d) education, and (e) the labor income of the mothers of the participants through subsidizing their childcare.”

One of the most important findings is how these early interventions don’t just help kids — they help mothers, too. This in turn helps kids even more. Therefore, it seems that investing in preschool pays out for the entire family.

To read the full article go to: investing-preschool-pays-out-better-returns-stock-market

Global Montessori has been providing infant/toddler daycare, preschool and elementary school programs in Langley for families in local and surrounding areas since 1988. In addition to daycare programs, Global Montessori also provides before and after school care for kindergarten and elementary children for parents who require the extra care.