[Source:  Medical X Press]

Current research findings are mixed as to whether preschool programs can improve individuals’ outcomes in the long term, with some studies pointing to benefits years later and others showing a fadeout of cognitive gains as early as elementary school. A new longitudinal study explored the long-term impacts of a preschool quality improvement program for low-income children on their self-regulation and academic skills in high school.

The program, which focused on teachers’ professional development and classroom management, boosted participants’ grades in high school, which the researchers say was explained partly by academic gains made in preschool. The study also found some evidence of long-term effects on students’ executive function skills, including their cognitive skills in impulse control and attention, which were partially explained by early improvements in math.

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