Originally Posted by nannyde:
For kids from wealthier backgrounds, with more stimulating environments, there was no difference between children who went to preschool and those who didn't. "
Oh wow. Really???? 
You can think about it... study it... research it... have meetings about it... get some taxpayers to pay for it.... but what you CAN'T get is any measurable outcomes for any group other than really poor kids.
I wish the researchers would quit it already with the preschool stuff because try as they might they won't get a different result.
I wish they would research preschoolers food and sleep. We need that info a heckuvalot more. 
ahhh, but you see, nanny, the
researchers are not (usually) in charge of what they are going to study...there are people/organizations(the government) that
pay the researchers to do the study. Those people/orgs/gov WANT this preschool study done over and over because they are looking for more and more reasons to push academics harder and harder
for everyone. There's money there...there's no money in "it only helps some people".
Also, when you figure that there's no money in "Preschoolers also need good food and more sleep", there's your answer why that's not getting studied. Better food = more expensive= less profit. More sleep = hell no, parents aren't going to be on board with that = no magic bean or book or product that can sold.
Research is as much a political thing as government is, sadly.
Furthermore, realize that the more the same study is done again and again with the
exact same results, the more reliable we know that result to be. They have replicated the data several times now...
maybe someone will start to realize that it's true and we'll start to see some shifts.