Governor Whitmer has announced plans to provide free pre-k education to all four-year-olds in Michigan, but some educators say free pre-k may not be enough to support children transitioning to kindergarten.
Amanda O’Day is the founder of Ms. Pandas Play and Learn Center in Harrison.
O’Day agrees there’s a need for pre-k education assistance in Michigan, but she said a larger issue lies in the widening educational gap between preschool and kindergarten.
“Preschool and the pre K is a huge developmental milestone," O'Day said. "Kindergarten is like the new first grade because of the academic demands that are in there.”
She said kindergarteners are expected to add and subtract numbers from one to ten, and to read five to seven word sentences fluently.
O’Day said many parents are shell-shocked to see the curricular expectations for kindergarteners.
“What's not being met is the cognitive development that they need to be persistent and to build that stamina," she said. "To be able to sit at large group to be able to sit with a pen and paper in your hand”
Whitmer said the plan will save families an average of ten thousand dollars.
Regardless of family income, O' Day said all kids need help developmentally to meet the needs of kindergarten.
“It doesn't matter how much money that they're going to give these parents and help them and give them the free preschool," O'Day said. "Until they figure out how to bridge that curriculum gap between preschool and kindergarten and the expectations, it's not going to help.”
