Value of All-Day Preschool

A new study shows that full-day preschool programs may better prepare children for learning and social development compared to part-day programs. The Journal of the American Medical Association studied 982 low-income and ethnic-minority 3- and 4-year-olds, enrolled in Chicago’s Child-Parent Center Education Program. The study found that full-day programs improved four of six measures of school readiness as well as attendance.

Kids who spent full days at the Child-Parent Center showed better socio-emotional development, language, math and physical health, as rated by their kindergarten teachers, than those in half-day programs.

The study also concluded that  parents can benefit from sending their children to full-time preschool as well. This results from parents having more time to pursue their own career or education, whereas they may not be inclined, or simply unable to do so, with their children in part-time preschool programs.

Click here for more details.