Lancaster Online: LTE: The Power of Pre-k Evident
4/26/16
The power of pre-K: I’ve seen it as a teacher in an inner-city elementary school, as an early-childhood education provider, and as a grandmother of two young children. Giving kids the opportunity to learn in the right environment can create a lasting impact on their futures.
Watching the wheels turn and the learning light bulbs click in the 3- and 4-year-olds I taught was like magic. From walking in nature to creating a classroom museum, everything was a learning experience.
I was able to follow many of those students as they moved on to elementary school, and I could see how successful they were in their classes. Students who attended a high-quality pre-K entered our elementary school ready to learn and were often several steps ahead of their peers.
My grandchildren — a kindergartner and a 3-year-old preschooler — learn a great deal at home, but both have grown leaps and bounds socially and emotionally by spending time in a classroom full of their peers.
The power of pre-K is something to which all of Pennsylvania’s children should have access. Let’s ensure that all of our kids start off on the right foot with pre-K education!
Pamela Jo Smith
Elizabethtown
Read the Letter to the Editor here.
