Source: familyfriendlyschools.com
By: Daseta Gray, MA. Certified Infant/Toddler Specialist
Worth Noting:
- More of the group who received high-quality early education graduated from high school than the non-program group (65% vs. 45%), particularly females (84% vs. 32%);
- Fewer females who received high-quality early education than non-program females required treatment for mental impairment (8% vs. 36%) or had to repeat a grade (21% vs. 41%); and
- The group who received high-quality early education on average outperformed the non-program group on various intellectual and language tests during their early childhood years, on school achievement tests between ages 9 and 14, and on literacy tests at ages 19 and 27.
Investing in our youngest learners is critical for each country and the future of our continent.
The research shows that by the age of three the brain is 85% developed. The age from zero to three years old is the critical developmental stage when the architecture of the brain is being formed. During this stage it is important for caregivers to be intentional about giving infants and toddlers Social, Emotional and Cognitive skills.
When children get to infant or basic school with these foundational skills, they will be prepared for the rest of their educational experience; it will help the community. The government will save money during the elementary years; as the children get older having these skills will help to reduce crime. According to Heckerman a leading economist explained that investing in the first five years of a child’s life reduce deficits in the early years and will strengthen the economy. He feels that the best return is investing in the first 2000 days (birth – five years old).
One of the most critical skills to develop are social skills. Based on my observations and readings social skills are an important part of brain development and should be given during the first three years. Social skills are needed throughout your life. We will look at the foundational skills that children must have. Children need to have good self-esteem. Children need to have good self-confidence. Children need to be able to do critical thinking and problem solving. Children need to be able to communicate their needs and wants. Children must be able to form relationships with their peers. As children grow up their ability to cooperate, to adjust to socially acceptable behaviours and being able to function in a work environment have their roots in quality early childhood education.
Childcare is not just the responsibility of the families the government must be a partner in the process during the first three years.
Governments should embrace the new neuroscience research and begin to implement policies that will help to prepare tomorrows future citizens today .When we look at early childhood education on our continent there is a lack of quality plus the amount of children with access to early childhood education is minimal .According to Borgen Magazine(2019) “In Africa, slightly more than one-quarter of children between the ages of three and five attend some form of early childhood education program. Increasing the percentage of those who have access to early childhood education in Africa could help reduce socioeconomic gaps in education and help these children eventually make their way out of poverty.”
Governments on our continent must implement policies that encourage supportive learning environments for young children, this will help to foster a strong foundation that will prepare children for success in the upper educational levels in school.
Not investing in our families who are pregnant and have children 0-3 years old will not yield the positive child outcomes and could prove to be very costly.
This could be a disaster waiting to happen because the research clearly shows that the brain grows the most from birth to age three. The experiences given to the brain before the age of three are critical because experiences are the key ingredient in building a brain. When the young brain is stimulated with intention many challenges that the child may exhibit can be taken care of and as a result will reduce the incurred cost.
Being intentional during the first three years will prepare a brain that will be ready for basic school and beyond. Many challenges that children exhibit during their basic school years are due to a lack of positive experiences during the first three years. There is evidence that now shows that many of the challenges that we encounter in our adult years have their root from the early years. This gap is due to missed lessons, undeveloped social skills and critical experiences that shape the architecture of the brain
This is evident when you go to a therapist, usually the first question or statement asked of the patient, is “tell me about your childhood start as early as you can remember”.
Change happens whether one is ready or not. It is important for us to embrace change that will help to get better child outcomes. The world is a global village wherever you go you need the same social skills. Brain architecture is built from the bottom up and the experience during the first three years provide the ladder for the rest of one’s life. It is critical that governments on our continent begin to see that they need to play a major role in providing this ladder.
I will share a few policy implications for policy and practice that was suggested by The Centre on The Developing Child at Harvard University; these will help to provide the ladder for our youngest learners and provide a strong foundation and will give governments 100% return on their investment:
1.We need initiatives that will promote and support relationships and quality learning opportunities that will give children a strong foundation for higher learning
2.Governments can make progress toward this goal by ensuring positive experiences at home and in the community by providing parent education about the first three years: school to provide support for families and provide intervention services.
3.When communities are empowered with knowledge about brain development during the first three years and the professionals who are caring for young children pay attention to their social emotional needs as well as their mastery of language skills, cognitive skills, they have maximum impact on building a solid brain architecture.
4.When the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare and Ministry of Basic Education work together and monitor the development of all children, challenges can be identified very early and so doing the government will save money in the later years.
5.Research shows that human skills formation indicates that when you provide remediation later for children that maybe venerable you will get less favourable outcomes and will cost more.
- One of the ways to get positive child outcomes government must invest in staff professional development for staff and parent education.
Quality early childhood education during the first three years will reduce crime because when children get to basic school, and they have a solid foundation they will grow up to become contributing citizens of their communities.
The Perry Pre-school Study revisited 40 years later
Weikart began the study in 1962 by identifying 123 young African American children living in poverty and assessed to be at high risk of school failure in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The researchers randomly assigned 58 of the children to a high-quality early care and education setting; the rest received no preschool program.
More than 35 years after they received an enriched preschool program, the Perry Preschool participants achieve much greater success in social and economic life than their counterparts who were not a part of the study. Here are a few highlights from the study
Among the study’s major findings in the educational area are:
- More of the group who received high-quality early education graduated from high school than the non-program group (65% vs. 45%), particularly females (84% vs. 32%);
- Fewer females who received high-quality early education than non-program females required treatment for mental impairment (8% vs. 36%) or had to repeat a grade (21% vs. 41%); and
- The group who received high-quality early education on average outperformed the non-program group on various intellectual and language tests during their early childhood years, on school achievement tests between ages 9 and 14, and on literacy tests at ages 19 and 27.
Among the study’s major findings in the crime prevention area are:
- The group who received high-quality early education had significantly fewer arrests than the non-program group (36% vs. 55% arrested five times or more); and
- Significantly fewer members of the group who received high-quality early care than the non-program group were ever arrested for violent crimes (32% vs. 48%), property crimes (36% vs. 58%), or drug crimes (14% vs. 34%).
Many times when I share the above information with groups or individuals a comment will be made, “what works in the west will not work on our continent” this statement has some validity however, investing in quality early education is beneficial to every child regardless where they are. Investing in human capital is the best infrastructure development and there is 100% return.
It is important for the community, governments, and families to understand how important it is to invest in the infants and toddlers. When educators receive quality professional development focused on birth – age 5 the long-term outcomes will be beneficial to society. Young children need to be equipped with their social, emotional, and cognitive skills that will prepare their brain architecture with a good foundation for the rest of their lives as they soar in learning.
References
HighScope Perry Preschool Study – highscope.org
Increasing Access to Early Childhood Education in Africa – BORGEN (borgenmagazine.com)
For Our Babies by J. Ronald Lally 2013
The Science of Early Childhood Development Center on The Developing Child Harvard University (2007)
https://www.bing.com/search?q=early+childhood+education+in+africa&cvid
www.developingchild.net
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