Having spent my first few years in mainland China, I can say that that the very typical kindergarten I went to taught pinyin and not bopomofo. Pinyin is the standard romanization in mainland China, not Wade-Giles (which seems to be preferred in Taiwan?)
Also, I would say that yes, pinyin did help me learn the language, and was especially important in providing a phonetic standard for characters.
Also, I would say that yes, pinyin did help me learn the language, and was especially important in providing a phonetic standard for characters.