Feb 132013
Count me among the fans of Obama’s State of the Union proposal to provide universal pre-K education, and not just for the usual wonkish reasons. My parents enrolled me in a pre-K program and, even though I was a white kid with middle-class educated parents, it made a huge difference in my life. From an early age, I learned to love school, to pay attention to my teachers, and (most importantly) to read. I may have been fine without this preparation, but I’m not sure I would have had the same success as an adult.
Incidentally, This American Life did an excellent report on the benefits of teaching “soft skills” to young children.
