President Trump might be different had he attended preschool

Would President Trump be different if he had attended preschool?

Sounds ridiculous at first glance, right? But let’s take a look at what might have been.

Young Donald J.Trump attended kindergarten through grade 7 in a private school in Queens, New York, which catered to families who could afford the high tuition. Although the school also had pre-kindergarten classes, there is no indication that the future president attended them. Instead, according to a biography by a pair of Washington Post reporters, in elementary and middle school Trump began to exhibit behavioral difficulties that caused his parents to enroll him in the New York Military Academy. He made frequent trips into New York City without his parents’ knowledge or permission.

Educational experts are in agreement that high quality preschool prepares children for success in kindergarten and beyond, including reducing retention in grade and reduction of referrals for special education; increases the graduation rate and reduces drop-outs; and reduces later dependence on government support, among other benefits.

We know that Donald J. Trump had socio-economic and family advantages that doubtless helped set him on the path to success even without preschool. However, without regard to his politics, would early and personal attention in a high quality preschool setting have made a difference in the president’s skills and behavior today? What might he have learned in preschool, anyway?

Well, let’s start with language arts, otherwise known as speaking, reading and writing. Children are encouraged to learn new words and use longer, detailed sentences. The president is known for making up some words (such as “biggly”) but his general vocabulary is not complex and his sentence structure is sometimes inarticulate. Children love to listen to and talk about stories. This encourages them to learn to read when they are ready. The president is known not to be a reader.

Although preschoolers’ first attempts at writing things down often appear as scribbles, children become excited at the idea that they are creating messages. Their stories are encouraged to become longer as they grow older and not be confined to 140 characters as in Twitter.

Now let’s talk about mathematics. Preschoolers do a lot of counting and estimating to learn about number concepts. That should help when figuring out how many people attended your inauguration or who has the biggest nuclear bomb.

Preschoolers also learn to solve problems and make decisions. They learn how to handle frustration when something is difficult so the world around them is a more comfortable place. That is certainly an important skill for a world leader.

Preschoolers love to play scientist. They learn about the world by observing and experimenting. They also notice the many ways that they can influence the natural world. Preschoolers may watch what happens to an ice cube in a warm room. That should be invaluable information when climate change issues are under discussion.

Preschool social studies helps children develop an understanding of their place in the world and how to get along with others They learn about the languages and cultures of other children in their classroom and take field trips around the neighborhood to gain an appreciation of others’ lives and living conditions. Ultimately the goal is respect and appreciation, invaluable characteristics for a future leader.

Perhaps the most important things children can learn in preschool have to do with their social and emotional development. Most of us can tick off these traits rather easily: taking turns, showing concern for a friend in distress, cooperating with others, wanting to please friends, and by age 5 distinguishing what is real and what is make-believe.

Reviewing the preschool curriculum and assuming that a bright student like the young Donald J. Trump would have mastered it, if our president had gone to preschool, today we would have a leader who is an articulate speaker, a proficient and enthusiastic reader and writer, a proficient estimator, an accurate observer of scientific facts, a concerned citizen of the world who displays understanding, respect and empathy for people with disabilities, all genders, ethnicities and religions, and an individual who can differentiate between real and fake news.

Parents, send your children to preschool and they will become great presidents.

This story was originally published June 6, 2018 at 2:08 PM with the headline "President Trump might be different had he attended preschool."