Post #4-Early Education

Creating effective work environments starts with early education programs. The benefits of early education investment are much greater than the cost associated with pre-K funding and daycare funding. In the article “How to Cut Crime, Alcoholism and Addiction? It’s Not Elementary, But Preschool” Maia Szalvitz, neuroscience journalist, discusses the benefits associate with creating  successful early education programs.  She begins by explaining the long term study that has taken place with a Chicago, state funded, pre-school and kindergarten program.  At the age of 28 the participants were less likely to develop an addiction by 28%, were less likely to participate in criminal activity by 22%, and were 24% more likely to attend four year universities.  With findings like these its easy to think that states should poor money into such beneficial early learning programs, but what is forgotten about is the quality.  Szalvitz also claims that quality is a key factor to a successful program and without qualified teachers to create a structure in education, early education is unlikely to be as successful.  So quality education may need more funding than most other programs, but the benefits are too great. Within these Benefits, lies a hidden gym, economic benefits.  Even though early education would be more costly, it would provide for an investment in the future that almost certainly has a successful return.  Students are more successful in the future and in turn benefit society greater.  With an increase in education and decrease in crime, future workers will be able to earn more money and pay more taxes along with a less likelihood of being incarcerated declining jail costs. Lastly I want to address that Szalvitz also skips a very important part of the study and that was that almost every parent was actively involved in the early education program in the study.  This may seem minimal, but it represent the involvement parents have to make.  To have a quality early education program, parents that are actively engaged in teaching their children and talking to their children are a necessity.  It begins early with the parents to create a successful student for the future.

Works Cited:

Szalavitz, Maia, and Maia Szalavitz. "How to Cut Crime, Alcoholism and Addiction? It’s Not Elementary, But Preschool | TIME.com." Time. Time, 09 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.