Early-Childhood Research

Early Childhood Study on Educare Centers Finds Improved Outcomes for Young Children
The Educare model appears to show positive results for those who spent a year in the program, which blends private, public and Head Start dollars for a birth-to-5 program.
Christina A. Samuels, February 15, 2017
2 min read
Early Childhood Think Tank Offers Policy Prescriptions on Early Childhood
The American Enterprise Institute's policy document focuses on building more flexibility for families into federal programs aimed at supporting working families with young children.
Christina A. Samuels, February 13, 2017
4 min read
Early Childhood Math Achievement Gaps Set In Early for Latino Children
Latino children trail their white peers by three months of learning when they start kindergarten, a new study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 9, 2017
1 min read
Early Childhood Parents Generally Like Their Child's Preschool—And That Can Be a Problem
A working paper found that parents whose children were enrolled in publicly-funded preschool in Louisiana tended to be satisfied with their choices, even if their children were enrolled in a center given low marks by outside evaluators.
Christina A. Samuels, January 30, 2017
3 min read
Early Childhood Articles About Early-Childhood Math Drove Reader Interest in 2016
Blog posts related to children developing math skills were among the most-read articles of the past year.
Christina A. Samuels, December 30, 2016
2 min read
Early Childhood Head Start: One Program, Dramatic Differences Among States, Study Finds
An analysis of federal reports shows the differences in Head Start programs among the states on issues such as teacher pay, student enrollment and length of program day.
Christina A. Samuels, December 14, 2016
4 min read
Early Childhood Early Intervention Pays Off for Disadvantaged Children, Says New Study
James J. Heckman, a Nobel-prize winning economist, has released a study showing significant benefits for a high-intensity program that intervened with children starting from infancy.
Christina A. Samuels, December 12, 2016
4 min read
Early Childhood 'Pay for Success' Funding Model Focus of Policy Toolkit
The Urban Institute released a toolkit aimed at policymakers and investors interested in using private dollars to pay for public programs, such as prekindergarten.
Christina A. Samuels, December 7, 2016
2 min read
Early Childhood Taking Stock of Head Start in Southern States
In the South, Head Start children are somewhat more poor than children enrolled in the program nationally, among other differences outlined in an analysis by the Institute for Child Success.
Christina A. Samuels, November 8, 2016
3 min read
Early Childhood Follow-Up to Tennessee Pre-K Study Raises Questions About Program's Effects
A Vanderbilt University researcher shares some sobering, if preliminary, findings about long-term effectiveness during a panel sponsored by a Washington think tank.
Christina A. Samuels, October 26, 2016
2 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Pediatricians Set New Guidelines on Electronic Media Use by Young Children
Instead of urging a blanket prohibition on media use for children under 2 years old, the American Academy of Pediatricians urges families to adopt a personalized "media use plan."
Christina A. Samuels, October 21, 2016
2 min read
Assessment Most Schools Use Kindergarten Entry Assessments; Do They Help?
Kindergarten entry assessments are supposed to help teachers tailor lessons for young students, but their use does not correlate to better reading and math scores, a study finds.
Christina A. Samuels, October 19, 2016
2 min read
Messages encouraging parents to talk, read, and sing with their children as part of a nationwide Too Small to Fail initiative to promote early brain and language development were recently installed at the Officer Willie Wilkins Park in Oakland, Calif.
Messages encouraging parents to talk, read, and sing with their children as part of a nationwide Too Small to Fail initiative to promote early brain and language development were recently installed at the Officer Willie Wilkins Park in Oakland, Calif.
Ramin Rahimian for Education Week
Education Funding Clinton Foundation Program an Influence on Candidate's Ed. Agenda
A program Hillary Clinton championed during her brief stint as a private citizen—Too Small to Fail—continues its work, encouraging parents to see themselves as their children’s first teachers.
Christina A. Samuels, October 11, 2016
6 min read
Early Childhood Podcast From Economic Think Tank Makes Business Case for Preschool
The podcast series from the Committee for Economic Development features business leaders and child-development experts focusing on high-quality child care and preschool.
Christina A. Samuels, September 29, 2016
1 min read