Q: Our daughter, Emma, just turned 3. We're thinking of putting her in full-time preschool as my wife returns to work. My mother, a retired nurse, would love to take care of her. But in our community, attending preschool is the norm. Does preschool always benefit a child?

A: This is a hot topic in parenting and policy circles. Two decades ago, most parents in your position would have chosen "loving grandmother" over preschool in a heartbeat. But today, parents worry that "a child who's supposed to read by the end of kindergarten had better be getting ready in preschool," writes early childhood educator Erika Christakis in The Atlantic.

There is a lot of research on preschool effectiveness. Not surprisingly, much of it depends on the quality.

While the data on some pre-K programs suggest that early benefits often fade by the end of the third grade, a recent RAND Corporation analysis of high-quality programs in several states shows several benefits, writes Lynn Karoly, the study's lead author. Quality programming showed the "largest effects on school readiness and with sustained effects at older ages."

According to the study, preschool can reduce referrals to special education and grade repetition and produce increased high school graduation rates. RAND researchers also found that while kids across all income levels benefit, the positive consequences "tend to be larger for more disadvantaged children."

Before you go and enroll Emma, determine if she's ready. Christakis, author of "The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need From Grownups" (Penguin, 2016), writes that "expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5- and 6-year-olds, such as being able to sit at a desk and complete a task using pencil and paper, are now directed at even younger children, who lack the motor skills and attention span to be successful."

Make sure that Emma gets the experiences during the next two years that kids need but may not get in kindergarten. A new University of Virginia study, "Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?" shows that kindergarten teachers in 2010 devoted much less time to art, music, dramatic play, dance and child-centered play than teachers did in 1998. Researchers reported a greater focus on math and reading, often with daily worksheets.

Christakis and other experts caution parents against preschool models that ignore a child's developmental stages.

How should you decide? Make an appointment with the early childhood specialist in the district Emma will attend. Discuss the readiness skills they expect in kindergarten.

Visit preschools. Are they child-centered places where Emma will thrive? Or is the focus solely on an academic curriculum that affords little creative play and sparse "listening and talking" between teachers and children?

Assuming that that her grandmother won't plop her in front of a television or a tablet all day -- that she will provide Emma a language-rich experience, with plenty of hands-on activities that develop early math, listening, speaking, reading and science learning -- consider an arrangement that gives Emma the best of both. Your daughter will benefit from a loving grandma who shows her why we measure ingredients when we bake a batch of cookies, and she will learn how to be a part of a group and make new friends in preschool.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My son, Brett, stays up late and misses the bus often, so I drive him to school. He's cranky and it's not pleasant. He gets marked tardy, which leads to detention. Our district announced a later start for high schools next year, so I've asked the school to void the detentions. The counselor won't and says it's still Brett's job to get there on time. How is that fair?

A: Seriously, Mom, you're taking helicopter parenting to a new altitude.

That being said, many high schools are responding to research about teens' sleep patterns by starting school later. "With the better-known physical and biological manifestations of puberty often come not so subtle switches in moods and emotions. ... Sleep cycles also change, making young people more nocturnal," says Stephen Gray Wallace, the director of the Center for Adolescent Research and Education.

In a blog post for Psychology Today, he adds: "We've known for a long time that the demands of teens' school, sports and transportation schedules don't exactly line up with what's best for teens' health and safety."

Wallace points to a 2014 University of Minnesota study of 9,000 students, which found that when schools adopted later start times, teens experienced less tardiness, substance abuse and car crashes. Their school attendance, standardized-test scores and overall academic performance improved.

So, yes, going to class later can be better.

But that doesn't mean Brett can't try to get to class on time. The staff and most of his peers do. He can, too.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends that teens get 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours of sleep every night of the week. So how can Brett achieve that with his school's current schedule?

Try these tips from the NSF and other sleep experts:

-- Establish a consistent sleep schedule and stick with it 7 days a week. Don't allow late nights and "sleeping in" on weekends and vacations.

-- Make sure Brett gets enough exercise, so he is physically tired when he hits the sack.

-- Take technology out of his bedroom. Research shows that having a TV, computer, smartphone or another similar electronic device in the bedroom can disrupt sleep, especially for teen boys.

-- Make Brett aware that lack of sleep not only can cause him to be forgetful and do poorly on assignments, but it also decreases creativity. It can even cause acne, weight gain or other health problems.

-- Check his schedule. Is it too packed? While it's good to be involved in a broad range of activities, being overly committed to clubs, sports, programs or a job shouldn't come at the expense of sleep.

This last tip is very important, writes Wallace: "In reality, sleep issues are not all that are placing our kids at risk of anxiety and depression ... With the best of intentions, adult America has created a society of stress for its young people. It is one in which we have normalized not only irresponsible school start schedules but also an irrational college application and admissions process."

So if Brett's schedule is chock-full, take it down a notch to alleviate his stress and help him get better sleep. For more information, go to sleepfoundation.org.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My granddaughter, Rena, a senior, wants to attend college. She is a champion tennis player, but has struggled academically because of ADHD. Her ACT score and GPA are low. She was rejected by her college choices. Her counselor offers no encouragement except, "Go to a local community college to get ready for college work." But the schools don't have tennis. She has a great personality and wants to teach. Any suggestions?

A: The counselor's advice is discouraging, but there's no reason that Rena shouldn't be able to graduate college if she's motivated and you put the right plan in place.

Many two- and four-year colleges have highly successful programs for students managing ADHD. You just need to find them. A good place to start is "The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students With Learning Differences, 12th Edition" (The Princeton Review, 2014). It offers profiles of 350 colleges with the best programs for students with ADHD and information on 1,000 others with support services.

The authors, college counselor Marybeth Kravets and psychotherapist Imy Wax, offer tips on how to put that plan in place -- even this late in the game.

First, schedule a meeting with the counselor. Press for more specific support and make sure you get all the information in Rena's complete education file (documentation for establishing ADHD, Individualized Educational Program, results of psycho-educational testing, and so on). Rena will need these when applying for support services at college.

Next, identify some "best match" colleges and visit them. Prepare for the interview: Rena should be able to demonstrate self-awareness by articulating her goals, strengths and weaknesses and describing what accommodations she thinks she needs. She should prepare a list of questions for the interviewer, too.

During campus visits, in addition to taking a guided tour, attending a class, eating a meal, talking with students, etc., make sure to schedule a comprehensive meeting with the college's director of support services.

Have a list of questions ready for the director about everything Rena will need to succeed: Is there flexibility in admissions requirements? Are there remedial or developmental courses to help her make progress in weak areas? What accommodations and supports are available for class, as well as testing and tutoring? Is there an extra fee? Who would Rena be working with and what are their qualifications? What is the success rate and what are the career paths of the program's graduates?

Go ahead and ask about tennis, but don't let Rena use the school's lack of a team as a deal-breaker. "The most important thing for Rena is to get on sound academic footing to realize her goals," says Debbie Perrielli, a Florida youth tennis coach. "In most any college setting she can find players to keep her challenged, or opportunities to coach informally. Her skills won't get rusty."

Rena is fortunate to have you as her champion. Keep encouraging her. "No children choose to be born with learning disabilities or ADHD," write Kravets and Wax. "However, if they hold fast to their dreams and aspirations and look beyond the imperfections and hidden handicaps, they can make things happen for themselves."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)