Early Childhood Education: The Research

Source:
30 Million Word Difference

The High Scope Perry Preschool Study

University of Michigan - How American Children Spend Their Time

The Heckman Curve


What a child experiences during the first years of their life has a lasting impact on the development of their brain. While genes set the roadmap, experiences create the neural connection inside the brain that sets the foundations of our emotions, language, motor skills, vision, and memories. If one region gets additional stimulation, the neural pathways within that area and the connections to other areas grow stronger. This process is called synaptic pruning.

You can also imagine your brain as a planet. There is Motor Skill Metropolis, Memory Mountain and Vision Village. Through the years, popular cities grow bigger and links between them get larger. Now if one area was never developed, there can be traffic jams. This then slows down the development of the entire brain. Some neurotransmitters will be tired of getting to work. Others will take short cuts and get lost.

Imagine your brain is a planet. Big cities have many houses, roads, and connections to travel to other big cities. If they are popular, over time those cities and links between them grow bigger and stronger. But if one town was never developed, citizens will have trouble to get around. As a result, there is little business and traffic jam for everyone who wants to pass through. This limits not only the development of that area but limits the growth of the entire ecosystem.

Betty Hart and Todd Risley studied children’s exposure to language. On average children from families on welfare were exposed to about 600 words per hour. Kids from rich families got about 2,000. By the age of 3, the gap becomes 30 million words. But it didn’t end there. Children from privileged families received much more positive feedback. For every 6 words of praise, there was only one word of discouragement. Welfare kids, however, heard twice as many discouragements than praise. This could make a difference that lasts a lifetime.

In a study that began in 1963, psychologist David Weikart and his team randomly divided 123 underprivileged kids into two groups. One group spent two years at a top preschool with excellent teachers. They made art, discussed problems, and received a lot of attention, respect, and love. For the other, life went on as usual. Often without much attention from anyone 40 years later the Highscope Perry Preschool Study was published.

At age five, 67% of the children in the top preschool group had an IQ of over 90, they were school-ready. Of the others, only 28% achieved that. At fourteen there was a big difference in basic classroom achievements. At twenty-seven the top preschool group was more likely to own their own home. And at age forty they earned more money and were less likely to ever be sentenced to jail.

The researchers concluded that the two years at preschool nourished the children not only intellectually but also gave them social skills, courage, and perseverance. This combination of character strength, also called Grit, was later responsible for their success in life. The 15,000 dollars invested in putting those kids into preschool, later benefited the entire society, mainly through a reduction in crime. The total return of investment was estimated to be at a 195,000 dollars.

In 2006 Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman published what became known as the Heckman Curve. It shows the return of investments in education, which is the highest in the early years. Governments have since started to act. In Germany, parents get a lot of financial support to raise their kids. In Japan, mothers or fathers can take a full year of paid leave. In France, all children go to Kindergarten free of charge.

If you happen to be in charge, know that with every extra minute you spend encouraging and talking to that little troublemaker, you might be doing him a favor for life. According to the University of Michigan: "regular family dinners are a stronger predictor of good grades than doing homework."

[juliocadenas]

I really liked the ending part that "having a family dinner together" is a greater predictor of grade compared to doing homework. That hit hard because it shows that it isn't only the money difference but also the time spent with family.
Very interesting.

[TheLolle]

Right now I'm really thankful to have grown up in Germany. My family wasn't privileged at all, yet I was given a really good early childhood education as far as I remember. That probably wouldn't have been possible without state support and I wouldn't be studying at university right now.

[Lucianamadsen]

I am a passionate educator and I Direct 6 Early Learning Centers in USA.English is my second language. I moved here when my daughter was 1yo.She is 6 now. 1st grader. I was always afraid she would struggle with the language since we speak Portuguese at home, but it is the opposite. She was the first one to learn how to read in her classroom. Her vocabulary is AMAZING. She received awards for reading.But of course I do read with her every night since she was a baby.More than 1hour per day. She loves books!So if “Poor Pete’s Nanny” have spoken another language consistently, maybe he would be better too.🙂

[childmindguide]

Great video highlighting the importance of early childhood experiences on brain development. The examples of the Perry Preschool Study and the Heckman Curve show the long-term benefits of investing in early education

[ankurrastogi]

Absolutely amazing!!!
This is why I turn to sprouts because they give you what is important concisely. Cheers guys!! Keep up the good and hard work :)

[sheherbano]

All the videos on this channel are very informative and helpful. Being a teacher I share many of your videos with my students as it gives them a better understanding of the lesson.
It would be very nice if you make a video regarding Parten's theory of play.

[rolaiwaza]

Well i think this is the best channel i 've come through ! information are provided in a simple and attractive way. Thank you for the effort !

[alphabetforkids]

When learning is a joyful experience, children absorb knowledge most effectively in their early years!

[guest_]

The two groups were kids from bad homes. Therefore this study should not be applied to all children. Children from warm, loving, responsive parents actually do better and are more health emotional than children dropped off at preschool. Most children should not be away from home until 7. Please do more research before dropping your kid off at some building.

[des]

I wish poor countries give parents a tool how to stimulate their child's brain at early age at home, they would solve the countries problem after 20 years.

[khanyekl]

I'm not entirely convinced that rich parents have more time to spend at home, those kids are probably being raised by a hired person. I think the middle class has a greater chance, or even better yet rich people that receive a lot of passive income.

[joycebruhn]

I went to school for years I was really surprised at the approaches they work I did a great job helping single and poor families at a low price included long meals extra twenty four hours it was my calling. I individualized personalized and though many were labeled problems I rarely seen any real concerns they were accepted and flourished all through the years oh I suppose we can say nurture nature but love and care and time and simplicity it works

[infinitymfg]

Well I have only been a subscriber for a few weeks so this was a new video for me and I really enjoyed it.

If you didn't reupload it I don't know when of if I would have seen it.

[magalyriverarojas]

I didn't know about the importante of the education in the early stage of life. Thanks a lot.

[rsatyt]

Your short videos are just really great and helpful.

[ypaudel]

1:18 There are only 171k words in English. Misleading comparision in use in the video.

[irenanayfeld]

I am a developmental psychologist and researcher in early childhood education. Research has shown that the Hart & Risley study was methodologically flawed and culturally biased, and findings not replicable when conducted with a cross-cultural approach to development. The bias and ideologies against families in poverty or on welfare is replicated through your propagation of these inaccurate and biased data, and your depictions of the families. This is an irresponsible and harmful overview of research in early childhood education. You have a platform. Be responsible, educate yourselves, do better.

[QponKajira]

Not everyone on Welfare sits on the couch watching tv. When I was a young mama I would read, sing, play, and talk with my children and they have a great vocabulary. and are avid readers! I hate the judgemental inclination of that portion of the video. It is discouraging.

[cmed]

Thanks you Sprouts. Keep up the good work.

[VlogAwi]

THANKS FOR THE VIDEOS !
Really open my minds about education !!