Preschool education is a prudent investment
Letter to the Editor
Lowell Sun, August 1, 2008

I was very pleased and encouraged to read the editorial of Wednesday's July 25 issue of The Sun titled "Push preschool." As an early childhood educator for the past 25 years in CTI's Headstart preschool program, I have witnessed first hand the importance of this investment. Fundamentally, children in preschool learn an approach to learning itself because they learn how to learn. They come to view school and learning as creative exploration and are very eager. Three- and 4-year-olds are naturally very curious about the world around them, and are capable of learning a great deal. They begin to see school as a place where they feel comfortable and safe. Preschool prepares children for a lifetime of learning. Children see that learning is exciting and they want to learn more.

Karen Frederick, executive director of CTI, and her staff work tirelessly all year long to obtain and secure grants and funding for preschool and after school programs. However, as The Sun editorialized, we need even more support from our Massachusetts public officials to maintain our economic and educational edge. People, this is a wake-up call, this is what our children need and deserve. Preschool education is a sound investment, academically, socially and economically.

In Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's book It Takes A Village, she states that our decisions are a test of our values. Nothing is more important to our future than the well-being of our children. It takes a village to raise a child, the home, the school and the community. Let us all form this partnership to ensure a better place for us all.

MARINA BALKAS
Community Teamwork Inc.
Headstart Preschool Teacher
Children's Corner, Lowell