By Valley Business Journal
There are numerous studies from the past two decades by universities, organizations, and government leading to increased support for preschool education. These studies indicate that children benefit greatly from early learning experiences, usually between ages of 3-5 years.
But do we really need studies to prove this? Isn’t it as common sense as trying to prove that exercise improves one’s health?
If you’ve ever had the joy of raising a child, you know what I mean. Teaching them, observing how they learn, and watching them grow is a delight!
I remember being stopped in the entryway after work by my four-year-old daughter, “Daddy, I know how to read! Can I read to you?” “Sure!” I replied with a huge grin. She dropped down on the tile floor and opened her book. I dropped down too, suit, tie, briefcase and all — listening to her read excitedly.
Her early preparation for her education was key to her success. As she grew, she was able to read and comprehend ahead of the other students her age and this led to higher communicative and critical thinking skills throughout her educational career, even into college.
In his book, Outliers, best-selling author, Malcolm Gladwell, addresses this common sense issue by exploring why some people seem to be so far ahead of the game. In short, a major aspect comes down to something simple: they just have more time learning in a particular field than their counterparts. For instance, Bill Gates had access to computer technology very early on, far more so than the average person.
Similarly, children between the ages of 3-5 years who have access to academic learning before others will have a head start. It’s nothing too complex.
This is why I am proud to serve on the board of a new pre-school for children, opening this August 2014, in the Temecula Valley area. Heritage Learning Center (http://www.heritagelearning.org) is a new pre-school, based on the classical model of education, committed to the common sense notion that the academic success of students starts at an early age.
Scott Phillips, J.D. is the CEO and Headmaster for Heritage Classical Charter Schools/Temecula
Preparatory School. Twitter: @ https://twitter.com/Scott_HCCS