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:
- During the earliest years of life, the brain is most flexible and responsive to learning, forming over a million new neural connections every second.
- Attending high-quality care can help kids build important skills, like learning to read, recognizing letters and the sounds they make, understanding and using math, and developing strong speaking and listening abilities.
- A large review of studies (meta-analysis) found that kids who attended high-quality early learning programs were less likely to be held back a grade and more likely to graduate from high school.
- High-quality early learning has positive long-term effects on children’s cognitive development, capacity to understand and manage emotions, ability to get along with others, and means to build relationships through kindergarten and beyond.
- Attending early learning and care programs have been associated with significant reductions in special education placement.
