Preschool should be ages three to eight not ages three to five. Children under age eight are in what researchers call a sensitive period of growth. Our public school system starts at age five so the majority of families just assume between five and six preschool ends and Kindergarten begins.

Once in school children are treated differently. There is less time for play, more rules, and bigger demands for academic learning. It doesn’t have to be this way. 

When researchers study how children learn they find that learning through play doesn’t stop at age five (or eight for that matter). Young children are setting down the superhighways of their brain. Rich and diverse experiences, rather than narrow academic instruction, provide best the foundation for later learning. Earlier is not better when it comes to academic learning environments.

Just one year can make a difference. Researchers who have studied the benefit of high-quality kindergarten that focuses on non-cognitive skills have seen that this increases children’s lifetime earnings by $300,000.

Don’t take our word for it. Below we have collected a number of research articles that describe the problems with our current system and importance of intentional learning environments for children ages five to eight.

Is the Learning Studio school equivalent K-3rd?

Yes! We assure you your 6-8 year old will be engaged, challenged, and learning! Our teachers have the training, skills, and resources to support deep learning for all the children enrolled in our school.

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• Starting formal school later is better. When educational experiences are not in tune with children’s needs they can be harmful. Washington Post – Delaying Kindergarten
• There are foundational skills that develop in early childhood. Pushing is costing our time and money and our children’s well-being. Edutopia – Wait Until Their Ready
• Aligning curriculum from birth through third grade. “Early childhood education practices are so needed – but not often seen – into kindergarten and the early elementary grades.”  New America – Pre-K though 2nd Grade
• Some of the advances children make in preschool fade out in the early elementary years. Developmentally appropriate curriculum should be implemented P-3. MDRC – Preschool to Third Alignment
• There are significant long term effects of a high-quality kindergarten experiences. Harvard University – How Kindergarten Affects Earnings

Read More About Play vs. Academics