What we know about High-Quality Pre-K: Stronger Reading by 3rd Grade

By Diane Castelbuono, Vice President, Impact
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey

At United Way, we see education as a community responsibility. It takes all of us – parents, teachers and other caring adults – to help a child succeed in school and in life.

Teachers know better than any of us that a child’s ability to arrive at school ready to learn is a key indicator of that success. And teachers know that a child who attends a high-quality pre-k program is much more likely to succeed in Kindergarten.

Research shows that students who attend high-quality pre-k are more likely to read at grade level by 3rd grade. And children who read well by 3rd grade are more likely to stay on track through the middle grades have lower drop-out rates, higher graduation rates, and an overall better chance at success later in life.*

At United Way, we believe children who are ready to read are ready to learn. This is one of the many reasons we have joined the coalition supporting Pre-K for PA, a statewide organization that advocates for access for all of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4 year olds to high-quality pre-school education.

The United Way and our supporters work hard to ensure children have every opportunity to succeed, and access to high-quality pre-k is one of the most important ways to make that vision a reality for our region’s children.

Pre-K for PA brings together a coalition of organizations from across the Commonwealth that recognize that ensuring every child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to participate in high quality preK is one of the most important things we can do for our children. — Over 1,600 individuals and organizations have already signed up to support Pre-K for PA.

Please join us in supporting Pre-K for PA: (click here for more info on how to join)