Last one, this explains everything really well: http://www.sharingsuccess.org/code/bv/achievegaprev07.pdf

Another to read: http://nieer.org/resources/research/EffectsPreK.pdf

For the poster looking for articles on minority students and preschool. Studies on minority children and how preschool lessens the achievement gap for them :

Fairfax County:
http://www.fcps.edu/is/news/closingthesag.shtml

Other articles:

http://www.alternet.org/story/155352/for_minority_kids,_preschool_narrows_education_gap

http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/news/coverstories/acheivement_gap_narrowed.php

http://www.nea.org/home/13507.htm

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/aer/achievement/

If you want to have them in a Montessori program you might have to start at age 3. Most Montessori pre-K programs won't take children that are over 4. (Some will, of course, but IME many will not.)

Is your current daycare a center (you said it's at work so I'm assuming)? Many of them will shift over to more of a preschool focus. I'd look into how the daycare will change as she moves into the older classes and how that compares to the schools you are looking at.

Anonymous wrote:This is why there are early childhood intervention programs. I don't think that this is disputed that early intervention has real results. Here's a random result of a google search.
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/sie/journal/Volume_4/Johnson_Website%20Final.pdf

The title of the article is the effects of early education on children in poverty, not minority children. Poor white kids could also benefit. So you see your comment essentially equates poverty with minorities, which is a moronic, Romney-esque gaffe. There are many, many poor white kids in this country. if more poor white kids received early intervention, then the US would have fewer republicans. so do me a favor, hon, shove your Romney yard sign where the sun don't shine!

This is why there are early childhood intervention programs. I don't think that this is disputed that early intervention has real results. Here's a random result of a google search.
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/sie/journal/Volume_4/Johnson_Website%20Final.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that earlier (2.5-3) is better for minority children.

You're a freakin' moron!

This is true. There are many studies on this. Preschool narrows the education gap when it comes to minority students. I am sure a Google will give plenty of articles on this.

Please send me the article. As a minority (Jewish), I'm certainly intestered.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that earlier (2.5-3) is better for minority children.

You're a freakin' moron!

This is true. There are many studies on this. Preschool narrows the education gap when it comes to minority students. I am sure a Google will give plenty of articles on this.

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that earlier (2.5-3) is better for minority children.

You're a freakin' moron!

I have heard that earlier (2.5-3) is better for minority children.

As long as she is developing appropriate social skills with good peer models, she should be fine.

I work with at-risk preschoolers and we like to have them by 2 1/2- 3 years old, but otherwise I say let children be children and not stress too much over the whole "school" thing. If you're happy with her current day care, why not leave her there an extra year?

I have a 2.5 yo and am debating whether we start looking at some of the schools for next Fall that start at age 3 (which would be more expensive than her current daughter and further out of the way as her daycare now is at my job) or wait until she is 4 and ready to start preK?