When was the first preschool established

These factors have caused the rate of attendance in preschool programs to grow each year. In most states, there are multiple preschool or Pre-K options for young children. Parents have the choice of sending their child to a federally funded Head Start program, if their income is at the poverty level, state-funded preschool, government-funded special education programs, and for-profit and not-for-profit providers, including those that accept government subsidies that help low income parents pay.

Currently, in the United States, Georgia, Illinois, Florida, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and New York are the only states with legislation underway or which already have universal preschool for all four year olds in the state, and Preschool For All in Illinois is the only universal preschool program that serves three year olds as well. Head Start is funded by the federal government and is available free of charge to low-income families who have 3- to 5-year-old children.

Preschools are usually privately funded, usually through tuition and fees that the parents have to pay. We found that children attending Head Start at age 3 develop stronger pre-reading skills in a high quality pre-kindergarten at age 4 compared with attending Head Start at age 4. The Head Start attendees saw higher high school graduation rates but also improvements in college attendance and health. Other studies, using different methods, have found similarly encouraging results. Early Head Start programs promote the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers through safe and developmentally enriching caregiving.

This prepares these children for continued growth and development and eventual success in school and life. Head Start programs promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. Federal grants are awarded directly to public agencies, private nonprofit and for-profit organizations, tribal governments, and school systems for the purpose of operating Head Start programs in local communities. And in a multitude of ways! One of the best ways to impact a child is to instill and foster a love of learning by igniting and nurturing a flame that will burn for a lifetime.

This is exactly why I was called to early childhood education. You can read more about my passion for early childhood education by checking out Who is Maestra Momma , Profile of a Daycare and Teacher , or pretty much reading any of my blog posts about play, toys, books, etc.

I have promised that we would talk a bit about the history of preschool. Churches, factories, and private homes began to offer childcare while parents were working. It goes without saying that only families from a lower socio-economic group would have needed these.

Man, I wish I was a time-traveling fly on the wall. What did they do with kids then? What was the adult-to-child ratio? Where did children sleep and eat? In , Wisconsin paved the way for a state-funded and controlled education system by establishing a committee dedicated to the free education of children aged 4 to In , Wisconsin started the first four-year-old pre-kindergarten program.

Seriously, go Wisconsin. Bet my sister who lives there is so proud right now! In the early s, Maria Montessori visited the U. Learn more about Head Start programs here. In the s, due to a growth in interest for Preschool Programs and a decrease in funding, many states started their own programs for students from low-income families.