Abstract

The education of young children who are at risk for school failure due to poverty is widely recognized as an important factor in determining their future success in school and in life. Previous reviews of programs for disadvantaged children between the ages of 3 and 5, or before they begin kindergarten, demonstrate that early childhood education is a worthwhile investment (Barnett, Frede, Mosbasher, & Mohr, 1987; Reynolds, Temple, Robertson, & Mann, 2001). This chapter summarizes the findings of a current systematic review of studies that compared the research on different types of preschool programs (Chambers, Cheung, Slavin, Smith, & Lauranzano, 2010). Brief case studies provide snapshots of the highest rated programs to characterize the types of programs that the review found to be effective in promoting academic outcomes (de Botton, 2010).