Kindergarten. Age 5. That’s the first time I remember learning something in school. The teacher asked me to spell the word “run” on a piece of paper. I promptly scurried over to the small wooden table to my right and jotted down the word. Beaming with pride, I held up the paper in my little hands and waved it in my teacher’s direction.
Caryn at age 5.
I’m not sure how I remember that (maybe it was a dream), but I think it’s pretty impressive that I remember learning something that early on in life. All learning before that age was probably minimal, right?
The majority of brain development happens well before that age. Actually, 85% of the brain is developed by the time a person reaches 5 years old!
That means that high quality education during the first years of a child’s life is pretty important. In fact, numerous studies have shown that early childhood education can be extremely beneficial for kids and can produce some fascinating long-term benefits.
One study found that adults at age 40 who attended a high quality preschool program--which promotes independence, curiosity, decision making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving in young children--had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have graduated from high school than adults who did not attend that program.
Another study measured the long-term effects on children who received a child care program focused on social, emotional, cognitive, and physical areas of development, with particular emphasis on language. The study found that individuals who received this high quality program from birth until age 5 enjoyed better physical health in their mid-30s than peers who did not receive the program.
Early childhood education = a greater chance of overall success AND better health? That’s pretty impressive.
It makes sense that kids with successful parents are more likely to be successful. Parents who have the means to provide their kids with rich early learning experiences can prepare them to thrive in school and beyond.
All kids should have access to rich early learning experiences. The sad truth is that many kids who grow up in poverty are missing out on these important experiences. They’re also exposed to stressful situations that can actually prevent and reverse proper brain development. For more on that, see The startling effects of poverty on academic achievement.
In order to ensure that all kids are provided with equal opportunities, countries need to 1) increase education programs and care for children under age 5, 2) improve access to and enrollment in these programs, and 3) ensure that the programs are high quality.
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, some countries are making progress in these areas.
Enrollment in early childhood education programs within OECD countries rose from 64% of 3-year-olds in 2005 to 71% in 2012, and from 79% of 4-year-olds in 2005 to 84% in 2012. Way to go Belgium, France, and Denmark for having the highest enrollment rates in 2012.
And here in the US, the Obama administration has proposed investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for children beginning at birth and continuing to age 5.
Of course, there’s still more that can be done. 58 million children of primary school age are still denied an education. Getting these children in school early can nip poverty in the bud.
Call the Prime Minister of Norway in TAKE ACTION NOW and ask her to come to the Global Citizen Festival and make a commitment for global education.