The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of Our Children

An eye-opening look inside pre-K in America and what it will take to give all children the best start in school possible. At the heart of this groundbreaking book are two urgent questions: What do our young children need in the earliest years of school, and how do we ensure that they all get it? Cutting-edge research has proven that early childhood education is crucial for all children to gain the academic and emotional skills they need to succeed later in life.  Children who attend quality pre-K programs have a host of positive outcomes including better language, literacy, problem-solving and math skills down the line, and they have a leg up on what appears to be the most essential skill to develop at age four:  strong self-control.   But even with this overwhelming evidence, early childhood education is at a crossroads in America.  We know that children can and do benefit, but we also know that too many of our littlest learners don’t get that chance—millions of parents can’t find spots for their children, or their preschoolers end up in poor quality programs. It also chronicles the stories of

“Something amazing is happening in America: We are building a new public education system, nearly from scratch -- to serve 3 and 4 year olds. Suzanne Bouffard is the tour guide we need to understand what is happening and what we can all do to make the experiment a success. “—Elizabeth Green, author of Building a Better Teacher   “Anyone who cares about children, their future, and the future of our country should read THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR, Suzanne Bouffard’s compelling investigation into the state of preschool education in America. Essential reading for any parent, teacher, or policymaker who believes that all American children deserve a quality pre-K education that will

"Fabulously written book that all educators and parents of preschoolers should read!" according to Amazon Customer. This is a wonderfully written book by Suzanne Bouffard. On her LinkIn site she notes "I'm a writer with a background in developmental psychology and a passion for making research accessible to the general public." I think she's done that beautifully. This book is not a "workbook" per se, as the. Well Developed and important Debra My 4 year old Great grandson will be starting Pre-K in August. We've been going through all the skills a 4 year old should know before school and this book confirmed what we are doing is right on track. This is a well developed workbook of sorts to ensure success in there most important step of

. She received her Ph.D. Suzanne Bouffard is a writer with a background in child development and education. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. Bouffard’s articles have appeared in The New York Times, Parents magazine online, Educational Leadership magazine, and The Harvard Education Letter, and she is the coauthor of Ready, Willing, and Able. in developmental psychology from