The following is posted on behalf of Tom Sticht.



>

>

>

> Letter to the Editor

>

> Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune on January 25, 2006

>

> What 4-year-olds need:

> parenting not preschool

>

> According to "Universal preschool plan makes ballot" (News, Jan.  

> 14), an

> initiative for universal preschool for all 4-year-olds has  

> qualified for

> the June ballot. Proponents say studies show that preschool  

> contributes to

> academic success later on. But this overstates the case. Studies  

> that show

> the benefits of preschool have not included the full range of  

> children, but

> rather children from poverty or near-poverty backgrounds.

>

> New research, "Improving Literacy in America"(Yale University  

> Press) has

> questioned the effectiveness of both child care and preschool  

> programs that

> do not focus on improving parenting skills.  Concerning child care,  

> it says

> that "overall, parenting appears to be a more important source of  

> influence

> on children’s development than is child care. … The contribution of

> parenting was about three to four times greater than that of early  

> child

> care. …High-quality child care will not offset the negative effect  

> of poor

> parenting, and poor-quality child care will not prevent success for

> children with effective parents." It concludes not only  that  

> preschool

> programs without parent outreach and adult education are not  

> effective but

> that starting preschool at 4 years old is too late; language and  

> literacy

> development start at birth and rely upon the love, motivation, and  

> language

> (vocabulary; knowledge) that parents provide.

>

> Based on this and other new research, Californians need to think about

> providing high quality parenting and adult education programs to young

> adults who are or are about to become parents. This way, the  

> majority of

> adults can prepare their own children for school, and only the  

> children in

> greatest need will require access to high-quality preschool education.

>

> Thomas G. Sticht

> El Cajon

>

>

> Contact: Thomas G. Sticht

> International Consultant in Adult Education

> 2062 Valley View Blvd.

> El Cajon, CA 92019-2059

> Tel/fax (619) 444-9133

> Email: tsticht at aznet.net

>

>

>

>


Gail J. Price
Multimedia Specialist
National Center for Family Literacy
325 West Main Street, Suite 300
Louisville, KY 40205

Phone: 502 584-1133, ext. 112
Fax: 502 584-0172


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