To the editor:
April celebrates Month of the Young Child in Michigan! The economic and other societal benefits of quality early childhood education are well documented, so I am writing to offer the perspective of a Leelanau mom on our county’s incredible early childhood education resources and raise awareness about their critical importance.
My daughter is extremely fortunate to attend a preschool that has received the Michigan Great Start to Quality program’s highest rating. In the less than a year she has been in school, I have seen her language, self-sufficiency, and problem solving skills explode. She is continually improving her conflict resolution and emotional self-regulation abilities because her program intentionally teaches those skills. Most rewardingly, she has developed amazing friendships and is learning how to be a member of a wider society beyond her nuclear family. I am confident that she and all of her peers are learning the social and emotional skills that are the foundation for not only academic success, but also lifelong resilience.
