During the early years, children go through crucial developmental stages, and continued, quality early childhood education can have a lasting and valuable effect on children's overall development. High-quality early childhood development programs, which provide developmentally appropriate curricula, enable children to develop specific cognitive skills at the appropriate age. Developmentally appropriate curricula contribute to the development of cognitive skills that help them acquire new skills and knowledge. Preschool offers children the opportunity to participate in activities they would not usually do at home, such as arts and crafts, science activities, sand and water play, music and movement. These activities can improve children's lives, increase their development and provide them with the tools they need for the future. Children who participate in preschool can connect with their peers and learn the art of socializing. When it's time to go to kindergarten, children who have attended preschool tend to be more mentally prepared because they already experience some level of structure. Quality preschool programs can improve children's lives, develop their social skills and promote their development. When children are able to socialize, they build many necessary tools that they will use throughout their lives. Preschool helps prepare children for future years of school. Preschool children grow and develop at a very rapid rate. The preschool years are a crucial stage in children's emotional development. During this time, children begin to understand that their body, mind, and feelings belong to them. At this time, children are better at identifying their own feelings - such as happiness, sadness, fear or anger....... middle of paper ...... Children have such strong resources to grow and learn that with a reasonable environment and support, the majority will be remarkably successful. Works Cited Barnett, W.S. (2002). Early childhood education. In A. Molnar (Ed.), Proposals for school reform: The research evidence (pp. 1–26). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing, Inc. Barnett, W. S., & Camilli, G. (2002). Compensatory preschool education, cognitive development, and “race.” In J. M. Fish (Ed.), Race and intelligence: Separating science from myth (pp. 369–406). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Shonkoff, J. and Phillips, D. (eds.). (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: the science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Wortham, S.C. (2002). Early childhood curriculum: Developmental foundations for learning and teaching (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.