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Knowing the ABCs does not by i tself prepare children for school. Children need a combinati on of

intellectual skills, moti vational quali ti es and social-emotional skills if they are to learn once they enter

kindergarten. Chi ldren must be excited and curious about learning and confident they can succeed

(moti vational qualit ies). They must be able to understand the feelings of others, control their own

feelings and behaviors, and get along wi th their peers and teachers (social-emotional ski lls).

Teachers rate these qual ities as more important to school success than being able to hold a pencil or

read. The growing number of children who are social ly or emoti onally unprepared for school means

teachers spend too much time trying to rein in unmanageable children and too li tt le time teaching.

Many of these problems begin before kindergarten. If not addressed, they can result in behavioral

problems that accompany chi ldren through their school years and into adulthood.

Promoting Childrens Social and EmotionalDevelopment Through High-Quality Preschoolby Judi Boyd, W. Steven Barnett , Deborah J. Leong, Elena Bodrova and Deanna Gomby

Teachers say about 20 percent ofchildren

entering kindergarten do not yet have thenecessary social and emotional skills to bereadyfor school.In low-income families,as many as 30 percent ofchildren may lackthe necessary skills.

Social and emotional development is impor-tant,both in its own right and because itfacilitates cognitive development.Childrenwith good social and emotional skills canget along with others,follow directionsand pay attention.These are skills thatwill help them get the most out ofclassroominstruction.

When children are young,the adults aroundthem (parents and other adult caregivers,including preschool teachers) are the mostimportant influences on their social andemotional development.

High-quality preschool programs can createsignificant long-term social and emotionalbenefits.Much ofthe long-term economicpayofffrom public investments in high-quality preschool programs will comethrough decreased crime and delinquency.

High-quality preschool education that is

designed to enhance childrens social andemotional development can yield studentswho are more likely to graduate from highschool,continue with higher education andavoid anti-social behaviors.As policymakersdesign preschool programs,they should:

Include enhanced social and emotionaldevelopment as a key goal.

Design & implement standards specifyingoutcomes expected for social and emotionaldevelopment.

Expand access to high-quality preschool

programs so more children can benefit.

Ensure that all preschool programs are ofhigh quality,since high-quality programssupport social and emotional development.

Provide administrators and teachers withtechnical assistance and training to helpthem implement effective curricula andteaching practices supporting social andemotional development.

What We Know: Policy Recommendations:

Preschoo

lPolicy

Facts

NIEERNational Institute for Early

Education Research120 Albany Street, Suite 500

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Tel (732) 932-4350 Fax (732) 932-4360

www.nieer.org

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Social-Emotional Benefits PreschoolHow Social-Emotional

Skills DevelopSocial-emotional skills develop in largepart through childrens relationshipswith other people around them, includingparents, caregivers and peers. Each play

critical roles in the following ways:

Parents and FamiliesParents and families play an enormousrole in shaping a childs social andemotional development. Early relation-ships with parents lay the foundationon which social competency and peerrelationships are built. Parental supportgreatly increases the likelihood thatchildren will develop early emotionalcompetence, will be better prepared toenter school and less likely to display

behavior problems at home and atschool.

This is why many preschool programsinclude a focus on parental involvementand parenting education.

Caregivers and TeachersMost children also spend many hours

each week in the care of someone otherthan their parents. These caregivers playa similar role in promoting social andemotional development to that of parentswhen children are young. Just as parentswho are warm and responsive are morelikely to promote strong social andemotional skills in their children sotoo are early childhood educators andcaregivers who provide this environment.The development of secure attachmentsbetween children and caregivers andteachers is important. That means staff

turnover in preschool programs shouldbe kept to a minimum.

Peer Group Children

Emotionally healthy children engage inpositive play behaviors, develop mutualfriendships and are more likely to findacceptance from their peers.Throughtheir play, they learn how to work in

teams and cooperate with others. As earlyas preschool, positive peer relationshipscan have a lasting impact on academicachievement and have been shown tocontribute to more positive feelingsabout school and eagerness to engage inclassroom activities. This in turn can leadto higher achievement. Conversely, earlyrejection by peers has been associated withpersistent academic and social difficultiesin elementary school. It is importantfor preschool teachers to encourage posi-tive interactions and to intervene whenchildren are having difficulties with peers.

Preschool Policy Facts

This fact sheet is based on the policy report Promoting Childrens Social and Emotional Development Through High-QualityPreschool by Judi Boyd, W. Steven Barnett, Deborah J . Leong, Elena Bodrova and Deanna Gomby. The report includes fullreferences and is available at www.nieer.org in the NIEER publications policy report section. This was made possible by thegenerous support of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily

reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Evidence that

PreschoolInfluences Socialand EmotionalDevelopment

There is convincing evidence that high-quality preschool positively affects social-emotional development. Many studiesof immediate and short-term outcomesshow preschool to have meaningfulimpacts on self-esteem, motivationand social behavior. Longer-term studiesdemonstrate long-lasting benefits such asimproved classroom behavior and socialadjustment and decreased future crimeand delinquency. These programs deliverhigh-quality center-based education

services. Some focus on 3- and 4-year-olds;others provide services from birth to 5.Some offer parent education or familysupport services.

Snapshot of Programs, Services and Benefits

Several studies the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, the Effective Provision of Preschool Education Project, and the Abecederian Project suggest that too much tim

spent in early childhood settings particularly low-quality ones may slightly increase childrens aggression levels. Yet, the bulk of the evidence is compellingly

posit ive and deri ves f rom a b road rang e o f i nvest igat ion , b egin ning wi th dem onstr atio n prog ram s im plem ent ed decad es a go and cont inui ng wi th presen t-d ay prog ram s

Program

High/Scope PerryPreschool

Project 1962 - present

Syracuse University Family

Development Research Program

1969 - 1975

Houston Parent Child

Development Center 1970

Consortium for Longitudinal

Studies

Chicago Child-Parent Centers

EarlyHead Start

M auritius

The Abecedarian Project

Services

High-qualitypreschool w/family

intervention. 3- and 4-year-olds.

Education, nutrition, health & safety,

human service resources. Prenatal

to 1st Grade.

Home visits, familyeducation, nursery

school.

Combined 11 studies of earlychildhood

education programs begun in 1960s

and 1970s.

Preschool and Kindergarten w/family

support services and continued

intervention in earlyelementaryschool.

Comprehensive educational, health

and social services. Birth to age 3.

Two-year preschool. Ages 3 to 5. Three

components: educational activities,

nutrition, and physical exercise.

Adult-child ratio 1:5.5.

Full-dayeducational child care for

low-income African-American children

from birth to age 5.

Benefit

Program group had higher achievement test

scores, better attitudes toward school, higher

high school graduation rates. As adults,

program group earned more, owned homes

more often, had lower crime rates.

Intervention group had far lower rates

of juvenile delinquency as teenagers.

Program group children rated as more

considerate, less hostile 5-8 years after

services.

Children who attended preschool more likely

to express pride in their achievements and

have better jobs.

CPC children demonstrated greater cognitive

achievement, better social adjustment,

less-frequent grade retention, and lower rates

of crime as adolescents. Cost-benefit analysis:

substantial RO I in form of reduced crime rates

and school remedial services and increased

earnings capacity byage 21.

EHS children had more positive interactions

w/parents. Parents show more emotional

support/less negativity. By age 3, children

attentive to objects during playand reported

byparents to be less aggressive.

Preschool group showed lower scores on

measures of mental health and antisocial

behavior at age 17 and lower rates of

criminal behavior at age 23.

Higher rates of high school graduation

and college attendance.