“There is a growing body of research that shows a student’s reading and math skills improve with exposure to full-day kindergarten programs or to pre-kindergarten programs of some kind,” Race said. “We’re seeing more and more that these programs are becoming the norm rather than the exception.”

David Parry, superintendent at Riverside School District, would probably say Hopewell’s experience is going to be a good one. Riverside was an early adopter, establishing a full-day kindergarten program about 15 years ago, and Parry said it’s become a cornerstone of the district’s offerings.

“The administration at that time recognized the growing demands on children in terms of academics, and the district made the move towards this additional instruction,” Parry said. “It’s been very successful here at Riverside, and I can’t see a point where we would ever consider changing the program.” …

“The target is 4-year-olds who have a financial or academic need,” he said. “We’ve found through our experience that anything we can do to get those kids caught up is going to be beneficial to them throughout their school careers. The Pre-K Counts program here is just another part of that equation.”

Joseph Clapper, Quaker Valley’s superintendent, said another important part of that district’s soon-to-be-implemented $140,000 Pre-K Counts program will be ensuring that its pupils gain the socialization skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.

“The literature on childhood development all points to social skills being so significant, pretty much on par with academics,” Clapper said. “A child who learns cooperation, responsibility, self-control and empathy is going to be in much better shape than a child who is still having difficulty with those skills.” …

Source: Beaver County Times, PA
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