This article was originally published in February 2017.
Universal prekindergarten improves school readiness amongst four-year old children, as found by researchers investigating the Queensland government’s elimination of its public prekindergarten program when it introduced its voluntary ‘Prep’ (preparatory/kindergarten) year in 2007.
The paper, The impact of universal prekindergarten on family behaviour and child outcomes, demonstrates that access to universal prekindergarten produces measurable improvements in school readiness for both boys and girls, and behavioural improvements for girls. It suggests that the higher levels of care that children experience in prekindergarten may drive these gains.
It also shows that these positive outcomes are consistent across socioeconomic backgrounds, indicating that universal kindergarten has the potential to benefit all children regardless of socioeconomic differences.
The research shows an additional benefit in that universal prekindergarten may also lead to increased maternal employment without a consequent drop in the time parents spend with their children or reduction of their relationship quality.
This research was co-authored by Ariel Kalil, an LCC Associate Investigator from the University of Chicago.
Read the full paper.