Early Childhood Development
Learning development starts long before a child begins kindergarten. A child’s development is strengthened through regular interaction and stimulation in both the home and in quality early learning settings.
Here are five things to know about child care and childhood development:
- The brain is most flexible and adaptable to learning during the earliest years of life. More than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second in the first few years of life.
- Children are already rehearsing how to produce language at 7 months old.
- When a child enters kindergarten ready for school, there is an 82% chance they will master basic skills by age 11, compared with a 45% chance for children who are not school ready.
- High-quality early childhood education has a long-term effect on children’s cognitive and socioemotional development through kindergarten and beyond. It’s also shown to help children improve attentiveness, regulate their emotions, and develop social connections.
- Attending preschool is shown to reduce the likelihood that a child repeats a grade by 15%.
Learn more:
Posts
COVID-19 Recovery: Working Together as an Early Learning & Care Community
The following is a statement from a group of national early learning and care organizations committed to supporting the child care industry with information and resources about the COVID-19 economic …
Task Force Celebrates Release of Early Childhood Education Profession Framework
Facilitated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), fifteen national organizations released the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession. The framework was released this …
What Do We Really Mean When We Talk About “Brain Science” in Early Childhood Development?
We often talk about brain science and the importance of healthy development in children, but what does that really mean? Check out our video based on the research of Dr. …
Bank Street Education Center Hosts National Strategy Discussion on Early Childhood Educators
On Monday, the Bank Street Education Center (Bank Street) hosted an event to discuss their new research and new national vision to invest in the early learning workforce. The event …
‘The Brain Architects’: A New Early Childhood Development Podcast
The early years of a child’s life are the building blocks on which they will form intellectual, social, and emotional skills to last a lifetime. A new podcast aims to …
Congress Passes Bipartisan Bill to Boost Early STEM Learning Funding
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Building Blocks of STEM Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that instructs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to consider age distribution when …
New Research Demonstrates the Importance of Early Learning — and What Comes After
In addition to the proven life-long benefits, the overwhelming research shows that children living in poverty who experience quality early childhood education programs are more prepared for school, both behaviorally …
HHS Undertakes Nationwide Child Care Listening Tour
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just wrapped up a nationwide, 10-city listening tour, which featured roundtable discussions with parents, employers, child care providers, states and localities, tribal …
Celebrating STEM Education for Early Learners
Today, on National STEM Day, we commend bipartisan work being done in congress to promote STEM education for children of all ages. One bill in particular, the ‘Building Blocks of …
New Data Confirms Importance of Home-Based Care for Infants and Toddlers
This week, Child Trends released new data about the different types of care settings and which are preferred by families with infants and toddlers. Using data from the National Survey …
Prenatal-to-Three Policy Impact Center Connects Researchers and States
Today, the Pritzker Children’s Initiative announced the launch of the Prenatal-to-Three Policy Impact Center at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). The Impact Center will partner with states to …
