Kentucky is one of several states leading the nation in quality pre-kindergarten education.

The little minds at the preschool at Dennis Wooton Elementary in Hazard work hard every day but at the ages of 3 and 4, learning is fun for these kids.

"They explore their environments, they work on things that is of interest to them," said Perry County Preschool Coordinator Susan Sizemore.

Sizemore says it is important to have a state funded pre-kindergarten program. The National Institute for Early Education Research found in 2007, most of the nation's four year olds still do not have access to state funded pre-kindergarten.

"If they have speech delays, developmental delay, we take all the kids. If they're at risk, it would be free lunch, and if we have places available, we take all of the children," Sizemore said.

Sizemore says preschool is important for a child's education and helps them to interact with other children.

"At probably no other time in their life will they fit in as well as they do in a preschool program," said Perry County Early Intervention Nurse Linda Napier.

Napier coordinates the preschool special needs program in Perry County and she says the earlier a teacher can work with a child's disability, the better.

"For example, with just, even a severe speech problem, but even a mild speech problem, they may not have that issue by the time they're in kindergarten," Napier said.

Both Napier and Sizemore say the national research backs up what they already knew, the state funded preschool program is important to a child's development.

For more information on the study visit:
http://www.sreb.org/main/Publications/PressRel/news1.asp?Code=1191