Early Learning Begets Later Learning

"A rigorous body of research demonstrates that very intensive early childhood programs can produce lasting improvements in the life chances of poor children."

~Duncan, Ludwig, and Magnuson

Duncan, Ludwig, and Magnuson (2006) explain that through the provision of "high-quality care to disadvantaged preschool children" the reduction of future poverty may be realized.

The researchers propose "high-quality educationally based preschool programs" will result in short and long term benefits. Short term benefits consisting of increased school retention rates and fewer special education classifications, and long-term benefits of less crime and greater economic prosperity. Additionally, it is estimated that long-term gains derived from such early interventions may result in a total reduction of 5-15% in participants rates of future poverty.

"Neuroscience research has documented how complex cognitive capacities are built on earlier foundational skills and that many cognitive skills are sensitive to early life experiences."

It is contended that disparate learning environments between both race and class lines serve as a precursor to future educational and vocational successes. An example cited within the article alludes to contextual differences between families in the bottom quintile to those in the top quintile in relation to socioeconomic distribution. Kindergartners from families in the top fifth quintile, "are four times as likely to have a computer at home, have three times as many books, are read to more often, watch far less television, and are more likely to visit museum or libraries." Another example presented in the article cites that three-year olds in families of lower socioeconomic standing present "half the vocabulary of their more affluent peers."

"Researchers have learned that rudimentary reading and especially, mathematics skills at kindergarten entry are highly predictive of later school achievement..." Additionally, the article posits that most social policies are aimed at playing catch up rather than minimizing early developmental disparities, citing that the funding for grades K-12 is 7X the total amount what is allotted to Pre-K education.... As neuroscience documents the process by which increasingly sophisticated skills are wired into the brain, evaluations of high quality early education programs show that early skill building can generate a host of long-term benefits both for children in these programs and as a society as a whole."

It seems we are truly doing a disservice to children which through no fault of their own find themselves in lower socioeconomic classes. These children have been shown to lag behind wealthier children in regard to overall educational achievement. Educational Justice should seek to ameliorate these early educational inequities and capitalize on this critical period of neurological brain development.

click here to be directed to the full article
Duncan, G. J., Ludwig, J., & Magnuson, K. A. (2007). Reducing poverty through preschool interventions. The Future of Children, 17(2), 143-160. doi:10.1353/foc.2007.0015

Provided is a visual representation of the exponential rate of brain development which takes place during early childhood.