Why Early Childhood Education and Play Matter: Preparing Kids for Success in School and Life

Early Experiences Matter

When we talk about preparing children for success, the preparation really starts at birth. It means talking to kids before they can communicate verbally. Developing motor skills through play, both structured and unstructured. Providing opportunities for socialization. Reading to children everyday. Providing a safe and loving environment to explore.

By age five, nearly 90% of a child’s brain development has occurred. The neural connections that provide the foundation for language, reasoning, problem solving, social skills, behavior and emotional health are established. [i]

 The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says free and unstructured play is healthy and — in fact — essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.[ii]

Looking at School Readiness from the Whole Child Approach

A child’s readiness for school is defined using the following five, broad indicators:

• Physical health and motor development. Are kids growing and developing properly?
• Social and emotional development. Do kids interact well with others and communicate their feelings in appropriate ways?
• Approaches to learning. To what extent do kids show curiosity, enthusiasm, and persistence toward learning tasks?
• Language development. How are kids’ listening, speaking, and print awareness skills developing?
• Cognition and general knowledge. How much do kids understand about the world around them?

What are the Consequences for Not Preparing Children?

Research shows that by age 4, low-income children have heard 30 million fewer words than their higher-income peers.[iv] Parents and caregivers stimulating children with the simple act of talking to them plays a critical role in the development of language and later on, literacy. Children living in poverty, whose parents may only have a high school education and may not speak English are most often those who are already behind their peers before they begin school.  Language barriers and cultural values are also a hindrance to parents accessing services.

These are the children on the front lines. For them to succeed, and for the sake of Alexandria’s economic competitiveness, these kids need to be reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Children not meeting this standard are four times more likely not to graduate from high school.[v]

“Language proficiency is a key predictor of school success. Early literacy skills (size of vocabulary, recognizing letters, understanding letter and sound relationships) at kindergarten entry are good predictors of children’s reading abilities throughout their educational careers. Language and literacy skills enable children to develop cognitive skills and knowledge and to interact effectively with peers and adults.”[vi]

Finally, consider that these are the children most at-risk for dropping out of school, for teen pregnancy and juvenile crime. They are the kids who most often enter either the social welfare or judicial system. And if they do, each will cost taxpayers $258,000 and impose a social burden of $755,900 over their lifetimes from public assistance, lost earnings and wages.[vii]

What Can We Do To Level the Playing Field?

Together, we can support at-risk children (and their families) so they can be successful in school and life:

We must start early.

It’s imperative we reach at-risk children (and their families) as soon as possible: learning playgroups and home visits to families, such as those provided by the Center for Alexandria’s Children (CAC), Healthy Families Alexandria and The Campagna Center make a significant difference. Playgroups are designed to teach positive adult/child relations and behaviors, help parents connect with other parents, and support a child’s early literacy and language development. Parents attend weekly and take home study materials to encourage development of at-home learning.

Take the single mother of a young son. She’s new to the U.S. and is learning English.

This is her son’s first opportunity at socialization and this mother meets other parents she can set up play dates with who are also learning positive parenting behaviors.   Another parent takes her to the library for the first time.   She’s enthusiastic and comes early to the CAC playgroup to help facilitators set up.[viii]

We must expand the capacity of Early Childhood Education (preschools).

There are 3,167 children under the age of 6 living in poverty in Alexandria.[ix] That’s a third of all of the kids in our community in that age range![x] We know that pre-school or pre-school-like experiences are critical to child development and success – the hard truth is that there are not enough affordable pre-school slots.

Licensed, regulated programs that provide for families with incomes that range from 100% – 250% of the poverty level include the following: Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), ALIVE, The Child & Family Network Centers (CFNC), & The Campagna Center (Headstart).[xi]

We must support literacy programs to mentor kids who are not reading at grade level.

Tutoring and mentoring programs like, Wright to Read, can be the difference between failure and success for the fourth grader “…who scored 325 in the fall and a 739 in the spring.”[xii] Kids in 4^th grade need to score 690 on the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) test to be considered at grade level. Other valuable programs in this area include The Reading Connection and the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium.

We need to get kids outside and moving!

Healthy bodies = healthy minds = the whole child. Studies show that kids are more focused and learn better when they are physically active. The benefits of physical activity reach far beyond the health benefits. For young children, physical activities stimulate brain development. Research shows that, “…second-grade students exhibited greater concentration and demonstrated higher math fluency after engaging in brief movement breaks consisting of 5 minutes of vigorous exercise 1 hour after lunch.”[xiii]

Consider the Statistics…

• Estimated median house or condo value in 2011 = $477,100
• Median gross rent in Alexandria for 2011 = $1,426
• Cost of Living Index for 2010 = 140.1 (100 = average for those surveyed)
• Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Guidelines for 2014 (monthly income for family of 4) = $1,987.50 @ 100% – $4,968.75 @ 250%

Notes:

[i] Shonkoff, Jack P. and Phillips, Deborah A., eds. (2000). From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

[ii] Ginsburg, Dr. Kenneth R., (2007). The Importance of Play in Developing Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. Pediatrics, 119 (1), 182-191.

[iii] Elevate Early Education. (2013). What Parents Need to Know., Richmond, VA.

[iv] Orr, Ashlin. (2011-12). The Thirty Million Word Gap. Retrieved from http://centerforeducation.rice.edu/slc/LS/30MillionWordGap.html

[v] Hernandez, Donald J. (2012). Double Jeopardy: How Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.aecf.org/resources/double-jeopardy/

[vi] Hernandez, Donald J. (2012). Double Jeopardy: How Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.aecf.org/resources/double-jeopardy/

[vii] Venture Philanthropy Partners. (2012). Capital Kids: Shared Responsibility, Shared Future. Washington, DC: Murphey, D., Redd, Z., Moodie, S., Knewstub, D., Humble, J., Bell, K., Cooper, M.. Retrieved from http://www.capitalkidsreport.org

[viii] RunningBrooke. (2013). Center for Alexandria’s Children Caring for Kid’s Grant Report. Alexandria, VA: Pelaez, Giselle L.

[ix] Bruhn-Morris Foundation. (2013). Early Care & Education Risk & Reach Study. Alexandria, VA: ACT for Alexandria Early Care & Education Work Group.

[x] U.S. Census Bureau. (2008-2012). Age & Sex in Alexandria, VA. American Community Survey.

[xi] Bruhn-Morris Foundation. (2013). Early Care & Education Risk & Reach Study. Alexandria, VA: ACT for Alexandria Early Care & Education Work Group. Retrieved from  

[xii] RunningBrooke. (2014). Wright to Read Caring for Kid’s Mid-Year Grant Report. Alexandria VA: Nida, Leigh.

[xiii] Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (2010). The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.