EDUCATION REPORT
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August 15, 2002: U.S. Early Childhood Education
By Jerilyn Watson
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.
About forty years ago, only five percent of American children who were three or
four years old attended early education programs. Today, about two-thirds of the
children of that age go to preschools, nursery schools or daycare centers with
educational programs. Many education experts say this is a good situation. They say
young children who have some kind of preschool education do much better when
they attend school.
Young children in preschool programs learn colors and numbers. They identify
common objects and letters of the alphabet to prepare them for reading. They sing
and play games that use numbers and maps. They learn to cooperate with teachers and other children. Many
preschool programs include activities to help young children learn about the world around them. For example,
children visit places like zoos, museums and fire and police stations.
After preschool, most American children attend kindergarten in public schools. Most children start kindergarten
at about age five. Many American kindergartens now require skills taught in early education programs. So
children who have not attended a preschool program may not be ready for kindergarten.
Many families, however, lack enough money to send their children to private nursery schools or preschools. Such
schools may cost several thousand dollars a year, as much as a public university.
To help poor families, the government operates an education program for young children called Head Start.
Studies have shown that many children from poor families do not do well in school. Studies also have shown that
children in Head Start programs perform equally well or better than other children when they start school. But the
government currently is providing Head Start with enough money to serve only about sixty percent of the
children who need this program.
Educators have expressed concern that some early childhood education programs are not good enough. The
United States has about eighty-thousand preschools, nursery schools and daycare centers. The National
Association for the Education of Young Children studies these schools. The association says it has approved only
about ten percent of the preschools in the country. Experts say American children need more and better preschool
education.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Steve Ember.
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