Most parents and teachers alike agree that school is important for developing children’s social and educational skills, but in over 30 American states, kindergarten still isn’t mandatory, with parents being able to opt their children out of enrolling. While parents have their reasons for doing this, kindergarten’s many social and academic benefits outweigh those reasons and help children grow into better people.
For example, one of the most important things that students learn in kindergarten and school in general are social skills, with studies showing that children in kindergarten who were more social or helpful to other students were more likely to have better education and jobs than children who weren’t as social. Without this early start in socializing, students may feel left behind and grow to not be as socially active as their peers who started in kindergarten, hindering their success in school and their future job.
It doesn’t just stop at social skills, however: kindergarten can provide many benefits for children’s academic skills, too. Children who have full-day kindergarten tend to have better mathematics and English skills than kids who have only half-day kindergarten or don’t go to kindergarten at all. With this in mind, not enrolling children in kindergarten may also lead to students falling behind in their classes.
In spite of the social and academic benefits students can gain from attending kindergarten, many still choose to not send their children to school that early, citing that children are not ready for school and that parents deserve a choice in where they send their children. While this is understandable, this worry is unfounded, as the majority of children have in fact been proven to be ready for kindergarten. For example, in a Washington observational assessment to test children on if they are ready for kindergarten, over half of the children tested displayed readiness in all six of the tests; not just a majority of them. This goes to show that the worry of children not being ready for kindergarten is misguided, and that the vast majority of children are academically ready to go to school despite parents’ worries.
Lastly, along with the many benefits that kindergarten can provide to young students, it can also keep them safe: with increasing inflation and heavier workloads, it may be harder for parents to be there for their children at all times. Kindergarten allows children to be in a safe, secure place while parents work to support themselves and their family without the worry of who will care for their children while they are working. Of course, not all parents are heavily affected by this and can raise their children without worry, but it is still an important opportunity to have.
With all this in mind, the benefits that young students get from starting school in kindergarten are undeniable: not sending children to kindergarten is both educationally and socially setting them up to have a harder time in the classroom, and while parents usually know best for their children, it’s important to realize the consequences that can stem from holding your child back from school, whether or not you think they’re ready for it.
