‘Play is the highest form of research’ The benefits of attending preschool, by Danielle Armstrong, Early Years Teacher at Bridgewater School, Worsley As an Early Years teacher, I am a huge advocate of young children attending preschool and formal nursery settings. I believe that doing so allows children to develop in various ways, both earlier and more successfully than they would if they only began their journey through education from compulsory school age. There is a lot of research around this subject that serves to back up these thoughts and shows the many benefits of beginning education at an early age. Melhuish, Gardner and Morris (2017) reported that the use of formal early childcare settings was linked to more prosocial behaviour, better verbal ability and
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better behavioural self-regulation. This is something that we see first-hand in our setting. Bridgewater School is a 3-18 school and many pupils begin their journey in Kindergarten and continue right through to Sixth Form. We are able to see their growth and development right the way through their education and celebrate their successes throughout. Preschool settings have a plethora of opportunities, designed to develop and support children to progress in all ‘Areas of Learning’. Many of these activities, in addition to resources, are not available in more informal or childminder settings. Children who attend preschools
