An 18-year study followed 27,814 children who attended different types of preschool in Miami-Dade, Florida, before continuing through the state school system. At age four, they attended either state-school preschool, childcare centres or care in private homes. Researchers compared their later school performance.
Children from state-school preschools achieved the strongest third-grade results in reading, maths and overall school marks. They were also 35% less likely to repeat third grade than children in the other groups. Those who attended childcare centres generally performed better than those who received home-based care.
Higher-quality primary schools were linked to better average results, but they did not remove most differences between the preschool groups. Reading was the exception: children from childcare centres who entered better primary schools came closer to the state preschool pupils. Researchers suggest that shared resources, including staff, facilities and learning programmes, may help explain the state preschools' advantage.
All three types of early care helped children improve their readiness for school, although state preschool pupils made the greatest progress. The researchers stress that attending state preschool is not essential for later success. They also say that centre- and home-based care in Miami-Dade has improved since the study began, with better-educated teachers and more centres meeting recognised quality standards.
