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The objective of this article is to investigate the effects of preschool participation on learning achievement and to estimate the optimal duration of preschool participation needed for pupils to perform their best in mathematics at the Grade 6 level in Uganda. The sample consisted of 2649 Grade 6 pupils, attending 82 schools across two rural districts of Iganga and Mayuge in Uganda. Understanding the relationship between duration of preschool participation and pupils’ future learning achievement is important to policies on preschool education in Uganda. Results from multilevel analyses show that preschool participation has positive impact on mathematics achievement of Grade 6 pupils. Results further showed that the positive impact of preschool on achievement seemed to level out after 2 years of preschool participation—meaning that 2 years was the optimal duration of preschool participation that was most helpful in boosting achievement. The implications of the finding to preschool education policy and practices are discussed.

an: 129593591; source: Educational Research for Policy & Practice; docTypes: Article; pubTypes: Academic Journal;