Enlarge photo by: Lisa Krantz

A Pre-Kinder student works to learn syllables and word identification in his class, part of the Summer Bilingual Academy at Wilson Elementary School, in San Antonio, TX on Tuesday, June 26, 2012.

Pre-K education opportunities have expanded nationwide in recent years, with Texas being no exception. In the face of budget cuts and funding difficulties, many Texas schools have nonetheless managed to expand pre-K to include full-day programs, according to a study conducted by education advocacy group Children at Risk. Education advocates say increased access to the programs improves vocabulary and lays a foundation for future academic success. (The Dallas Morning News)