Early Childhood Education Matters

Decades of research shows early childhood education matters. Rather than just being a place to drop off keiki so mom and dad can work, early childhood education, or preschool, sets young children up to succeed in life. 

Getting a head start on learning letters and numbers is part of it, but early childhood education also gives our keiki the opportunity to develop their social and emotional skills - how to communicate and get along with others, as well as how to learn and play collaboratively or independently. Keiki who go to preschool are exposed to a diverse set of people, activities, and ways of learning that they may not get at home.

The result is keiki who participate in preschool are:

• Less likely to repeat a grade

• Less likely to be identified as having special needs

• More prepared academically for later grades

• More likely to graduate from high school

• Higher earners in the workforce

It’s easy to see how early childhood educators make a huge impact in the lives of children. In the bigger picture, early childhood educators make a huge impact in our community because successful, well-adjusted keiki are more likely to become successful, well-adjusted adults who contribute positively to our local community and ultimately help create a better world.