ABSTRACT
Educators, legislators, scientists, psychologists, and child advocacy groups have recognized the formative influence of, and need for, high-quality kindergarten readiness during the preschool years. Investing in high-quality preschool education engenders an academic milieu that is unequivocally and inextricably linked to the long-term development of productive members of society, with more students graduating from high school and continuing on to college, the military, or skilled labor positions. This chapter focuses on high-quality early education to help close the school readiness gap between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers. Finally, the process of linking assessment to intervention for preschoolers is discussed.
