Early Childhood Development: Preschool or No Preschool?

Abstract

Aim: Numerous children in developing countries fail reaching their development potential. A lot of children in rural South Africa experience retention during primary school, which can contribute to intergenerational transmission of poverty. Preschool in the early years can reduce this problem. The aim of this study is gaining knowledge on the current cognitive and social-emotional level of the children to support the importance of preschool education. Method: The study included 84 participants (mean age: 4.06 years, SD: .91) from townships in the Dennilton area, South Africa, who participated in a preschool (N = 61) or not (N = 23). Cognitive development was measured by the AWMA, Visual Search, Shape Stroop and PPVT. Social-emotional development was measured by the BSQ and SDQ, and finally BMI was included. Results: In general, cognitive development was higher for children in the preschool. Marginal differences were found for social-emotional development. BMI had a neglectable influence on cognitive and social-emotional development. Discussion: This study stresses the importance of preschool education in rural townships of South Africa, because it has a positive influence on cognitive development, reducing the chances of retention in primary school. Future research should take quality of preschools in consideration and be aware to have a sufficient sample for more conclusive results.