About the author

Marlene Weinstein is a child care consultant, director of Early Age Education for the Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools, and co-chair of the Communications and the Kindergarten Transition Committees for Alliance for Better Child Care (ABC).

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Spring 2006 editionEarly care and education

Research points to critical role of early years

by Marlene Weinstein

Research on human brain development and the long-term impact of early childhood education has established that the first five years of life are critical to laying a foundation for learning and success as an adult.

Researchers have long known that the human brain achieves about 85 percent of its adult size by age two-and-a-half and about 90 percent by age three. Thanks to new technology in which one can actually observe and track brain activity and growth, scientists have been able to show that a child’s early experiences actually shape brain architecture (see “The Developing Brain” ).

Long-term studies

Another strand of research on early development has investigated the long-term benefits of high-quality early childhood education – and the potentially harmful consequences when such experiences are lacking.

That National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has recently culled findings from several major U.S. studies on the effects of various early childhood programs and their impact on children’s lives.

NIEER’s report highlights three “outstanding” longitudinal studies. Each found that children carry the benefits of high-quality early childhood programs into school and beyond, with a net effect of significant financial savings for society and increased success for the children.

The “Chicago Parent/Child Study” (1985-2000) found that children at risk of school failure, with even a half-day of high quality preschool, were more likely to graduate from high school (62 percent vs. 49 percent) and less likely to be arrested by age 18 than a comparison group. Only 14 percent in the preschool group required special education services vs. 25 percent in the comparison group.

The “North Carolina Abecederian Project” (1972-1993), which looked at children who received full-time, high-quality early childhood education through age five and whose parents were in a parent involvement program when the children were 5-8 years old found that those experiences yielded higher rates of graduation from high school (67 percent vs. 51 percent). In addition, 48 percent of those in the comparison group required special education services, but only 24 percent in the preschool group. Only 20 percent of the comparison group went on to higher education compared to 40 percent of the preschool group.

The High/Scope Perry Preschool Project (1972-1993) compared two groups of low-income, high-risk children. Half were enrolled in a half-day, high-quality preschool program in Ypsilanti, Michigan public schools, and half did not have formal preschool. Both groups were followed until age 27. The benefits of preschool were significant for every measure studied. For example, the preschool group was four times more likely to earn at least $2,000 per month than the comparison group; they were almost three times more likely to own their own home at age 27, and only half as likely to have multiple arrests by age 27.

Definitions of quality

Reports by NIEER and others have identified appropriate teacher preparation, curriculum, and parent engagement as among the key aspects of high-quality early childhood education.

Some of the common research findings are that quality care includes:

Warm, responsive relationships with teachers who respond to children’s cues
Teachers well-trained in early childhood education who offer both teacher-directed activities and child-initiated activities
Teachers who establish routines, help build confidence, and foster a love of learning
Programs in which parents are valued and engaged as partners.

While inadequate funding for early childhood education in Pennsylvania and other states makes it difficult for providers to hire and retain highly qualified teachers, the research is clear on their impact in the classroom.

The landmark national study, Cost Quality and Child Outcomes (1999) found that “formal education levels and specialized early childhood training of classroom teachers” affect quality, which in turn “influences children’s outcomes through at least second grade.” The study found that these effects hold true for all children, but lower-income, at-risk children especially benefit from high-quality early education.

Investing in quality

Children in fulltime child care from infancy through age five spend as much time in that setting as they will in kindergarten through 12th grade-about 12,000 hours – and so the potential benefits of quality preschool programs are vast.

Each of the three highly regarded long-term studies estimated the savings derived from early childhood programs in remedial and special needs education, welfare costs, lost income tax, and engagement in the criminal justice system. The estimates of return for every one dollar invested in early childhood education ranged from $4 all the way up to $16.

“To practitioners in early childhood education, these results are not surprising,” commented Sharon Easterling, executive director of the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children.

“We observe on a daily basis how much children learn both intellectually and socially when they are in high-quality group care,” Easterling added. “It’s just common sense that that foundation will serve them well in school and beyond.”