The Positive Impact of an Early Childhood Education
Krystal L. Sinclair
Western Governor’s Univeristy
July 30, 2014
The Positive Impact of an Early Childhood Education
Most people believe early intervention should start from the age of birth to eight years of age. While others believe early learning begins at age five. At this age children will enter into the cultural practice of formal learning (Education Encyclopedia- State University, n.d.). Early intervention programs are programs designed to help close the gap between children who aren’t ready for the entrance into school. Especially those children who are considered to be at risk. Whatever, the age early intervention programs have proven to be an important aspect in the lives of many. Research has shown investing in early childhood education programs can benefit low soci-economic communities financially, prepare children from birth to age five for school and create productive and better citizens.
Early childhood education programs and centers can produce a revenue of over 900,000 dollars annually (Steglin, 2004). If a center were to open in a low income neighborhood, it would bring jobs and more money into that area. Also bringing a place that could provide cognitive learning and structure for young children. So investing as little as $1.00 in early education can mean major returns over a long or short period of time. This is the type of revenue that could revive a struggling community or state. Making an investment in early childhood education a wise investment for investors and for the communities involved.
## Investing in early childhood education programs can benefit a low soci-economic community in a variety of ways. Michigan’s High Scope Perry Preschool Program is a prime example of a wise investment. Established in 1967, it is the second oldest federally funded preschool program in the United States and the most enduring early childhood intervention. The High Scope Perry Preschool program was initially implemented in four sites and later expanded to twenty-five sites. Each of these twenty-five sites were designed to provide families in high-poverty neighborhoods high quality early childhood programs (Temple, 2011). The overall goal of these centers were to promote children’s academic success and to facilitate parent involvement in children’s education.
## Over the years the High Scope Perry Preschool Program has served a number children from low-income families. The High Scope Perry Preschool Program has also been the influence of many studies through out the years. For example: In 2003, Rolnick and Grunewald research showed a thousand dollar investment in early intervention programs had a return of over nineteen thousand dollars in a twenty year time span. When the Stock Market Investments only showed a return of less than four thousand dollars in a twenty year time span. Resulting in a fifteen thousand dollar difference between the two investments. Imagine what that could do for a struggling community and the people in it.
## In the same analysis Arthur Rolnick of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, shows an annual return of sixteen percent after adjusting for inflation (Rolnick & Grunewald, 2003). This came in the form of a decrease in special education expenditures, lowering funds spent on prisons, and other government subsidies. Cutting the cost in these areas showed an exceptional return on a dollar investment.
## Although, The High Scope Perry Schools has been the topic of many studies. The Perry School is by far one of the greatest federally funded programs offered. It has been the foundation for other programs such as The Chicago Child-Parent Center program. The Chicago Child-Parent Center Program is an early intervention program that works to provide a comprehensive educational services to economically disadvantaged children, improved families by influencing and implementing structure to children, bridging the learning gap between children who are at risk and with disabilities, and creating better citizens. The center’s overall goal was to promote children’s academic success and to facilitate parent involvement in children’s education.
## Financially the Chicago Child-Parent Center Programs shows benefits of an average cost per child of $6,730 for 1.5 years of participation, the preschool program generated a total return to society at large of $47,759 per participant (1998 dollars) . The largest benefit was program participants’ increased earnings capacity projected from higher educational attainment. $47,759 per participant is a substantial amount of money for any struggling community (Temple, 2011).
## Imagine if there were 200 students in one center with a return investment of $47,759. That would mean a benefit of $9,551,800 for that center alone. If there are 200 students in all 25 centers it could potentially bring benefits of $238,797,000. These benefits could benefit taxpayers, businesses, investors and areas where these centers are located.
## Both the High Scope Perry Preschool Program and The Chicago Child-Parent Center have shown to be economically beneficial to communities. each center being an inspiration to other researchers and studies. For example: In 2004, Columbia University did a report on the cost-savings of early childhood education programs. Researchers found that early education returns about half of it’s original cost in later school related savings. Research also, showed that an initial investment in high quality programs lead to savings in the range of $2,951 to $9,547 per child within ten years of entering kindergarten. These savings came primarily from the decrease in the number of students needing special education and held back a grade in school (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2009).
## Another study done by Anne O’Brien has made it more evident that early education is beneficial to a community. The non-profit organization America’s Edge, located in the state of Kansas invested 141 million dollars on state funded learning programs. The state’s investment had a return of about 237 million dollars in economic activity (O’Brien, 2012). Showing a short-term investment of one dollar can generating one dollar and sixty-eight cent in spending. Making an investment in early learning programs a better investment than retail trading, transportation, construction, wholesale trade and manufacturing. Imagine what that investment did for businesses and people in the state of Kansas. If the budget for these programs were cut it would mean trouble for Kansas businesses.
In the 2014, Project Early Kindergarten Program did a study on the financial benefits of it’s own program. The results showed a benefit for society as being 13.8 million dollars. This consisted of 12.4 million in personal earnings, plus 1.3 million in additional taxes paid by participants. The return on investment for the society was 4.7 dollars for every dollar invested in a period of forty-seven years. Private investors could be interpreted as a leverage to improve productivity of participants who received 10.9 dollars in return for every dollar invested. The Project Early Kindergarten Program could potentially produce lifetime benefits and savings for Minnesota taxpayers of 18.5 million dollars. Private investors could benefit 37.7 million dollars. This is a combined revenue of 56.3 million dollars in lifetime benefits (Project Early Kindergarten Programs, 2014).
Finally, over the course of their lifetimes, children are 33 percent more likely to be employed and earn on average $5,500 more per year than their peers who didn’t participate in early learning programs. This improved outcome benefits to all of society and the entire economy. Showing that every dollar invested in early childhood programs returns 7 to 10 percent per child, per year for the life of the child through increased productivity and reduced social costs. Which addressed the causes of poverty, not just the symptoms (Veisson, 2011).
These are only a few examples of early childhood education benefiting places financially. Early childhood education centers can become an important asset to any place. Helping with lowering the number of people on public assistance and potentially bring more jobs to a community. Enabling early childhood educators to contribute to the tax base of a community, as well as spend money in community businesses, which all contribute to the health of the community at large. Giving tax payers pockets a break and adding to the revenue of a struggling state or community. Investing in early childhood education programs have shown to benefit or stabilize a low soci-economic communities financially. Most importantly, children who do not attend early intervention programs can have a negative impact on the economy and the prosperity of their communities.
Early childhood education or early intervention programs prepare child from birth to five years for school, and create productive and better citizens. Children who attend early childhood education programs have had higher test scores in IQ and achievement test. They’re less likely to repeat grades and need special programs. By the age of twenty-one most of them have completed more years of education and were more likely to attend a four year college. Quality early education programs give children the social, language, and number skills they need to prepare them for school. Making early childhood education programs beneficial to children from birth to age five and citizens.
A biologist by the name of Jack P. Shonkoff believed, “You lose what you don’t use” (Shonkoff, 2013). That is what the brain does when it is in the constant stage of purging. Teaching children while they’re young gives their brain more to build on. The things that children learn and the way it is taught plays a very important role. With early childhood education children are constantly learning things in a structured environment. Science has shown that things learned from birth to five years are of grave importance. This is because brain development is at it’s peak. The brain is constantly absorbing information and storing it to build on. Making early intervention important to developing the skills needed for later in life. Especially, the things children are learning from parents. It is important that parents are careful about the things they input or don’t input into their children.
Children who attend early childhood education programs are subjected to cognitive learning and activities that help them build on the skills they already have. As well as build and develop new skills such as cognitive learning. Cognitive development is an important part of early childhood education. Learning hands on and through play is beneficial to social and emotional development. Cognitive development and learning is another attribute that early childhood education programs contribute to children from low income areas.
Investing in early childhood education is very important and a wise investment. Early childhood education improves at risk children by making better adults. Better adults means lower crime rates and less money needed for jails. Children who attend early intervention programs have a better success rate and more likely to attend four year colleges. They then become citizens who earn more and pay more taxes. Making early education programs a program that helps increase the tax revenue of a community. Studies have shown many positive aspects of early childhood education programs. Making early childhood education programs a need to a struggling community and the people within the community.
In a 2000, poll done by Mason-Dixion Polling and Research Company, national law enforcement leaders were asked: What is the most effective strategy for reducing youth violence and crimes? 71.1% chose to provide more after-school and early educational child care programs. The other 29.3% chose to hire more police to investigate juvenile crimes, prosecute more juveniles as adults, and install more metal detectors and cameras in schools. Even our national law enforcement leader believe using more early educational programs will improve youth violence (Mason-Dixion Polling & Research, 2000).
In Research done by Reynolds in 2001, entitled “At Risk Children Without Quality Pre-kindergarten”, only 9% of the Child-Parent Center’s children were arrested by the age of 18 for violent crimes. 15.3% similar children who did not attend a Child-Parent Center had been arrested for violent crimes. Making children who did not participate in the early intervention program 70% more likely to commit violent crimes. This supports the argument that early childhood education programs improves the lives of youth and create better citizens (Reynolds.et al., 2001).
Early childhood education backed by a good upbringing is promoting and helping healthy living. Educating children on healthy decision making creates a foundation for them to becoming great citizens. Thus, youth will be less prone to commit violent crimes. Early childhood education plays a vital role in molding people and creating a successful community. This is something that the federal government and states have realized.
Less than 40% of U.S. children enter school with the skills necessary to succeed. These children are the children at a disadvantage. The federal government took notice of this and launched a series of programs designed to ensure our children have a strong foundation in both educational and social- emotional aspects of development. Early Reading First is a grant designed to provide funds for preschool programs that support mental and academic development and reading skill for preschool-aged children. Special Educational Preschool Grant was created to support early childhood programs that provide services to young children with disabilities. Ready to Learn Television that was designed to facilitate students academic achievement by distributing educational videos to elementary school students. The Foundation for Learning Grant supports programs that focus on the emotional, social, and behavioral development of children entering school. Head Start and Early Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that serves children from birth to age five, pregnant women, and their families. Child care and Development Block Grants are used to subsidize child care cost for low income children under the age of thirteen (Thompson, n.d.)
A. Thompson provides information on several programs promoting early childhood education grants and centers. All supporting and stressing the importance of educating children from birth to age thirteen. While most of programs focus only on people and children from lower income neighborhoods. This is because these are the children mostly effected by inadequate educational resources and tools. In some cases lower income children are lacking proper education or under educated teachers and providers. A majority of these programs work with centers and providers making sure they receive the proper help. While other programs assist centers in getting all the proper tools needed to run a quality early childhood education program. Overall, centers and programs promoting early childhood education work toward the same goal. A goal that helps better early childhood education programs and facilities. A goal that assist in preparing children to enter school ready and confident.
Struggling communities and the people within them can benefit a lot from early childhood education programs and centers. Early childhood education programs bring forth more jobs and promote safer a environment for children up to age twelve. Some centers provide workshops and educational programs for parents and people in the community. These things all work together by lowering the unemployment rates and crimes among youth. Early childhood education centers can act as an information center for parents. By making parents aware of what assistance and programs are available in their area. Programs that could help them better their family environment as well as temporary assistance programs. Early childhood centers act as a liaison between schools and parents. Some even offer after school care and transportation to and from school. Enabling parents to get to work on time or find a better job. During the summer months centers provide childcare, field trips at a discounted rate, and summer reading programs. Summer programs can be a big help to parents who don’t have someone to care for their children at home and can’t afford extravagant vacations.
Research affirming the importance of early development, particularly brain development, has begun to affect public policy debates, decision makers at all levels of government have been paying more attention to the availability and quality of early education. Several states have launched efforts to strengthen early care and education as part of comprehensive early childhood initiatives. Others are expanding and improving existing early education programs. Thirteen states have chosen to supplement federal Head Start funds to serve more low-income children. Forty-one states are moving toward universal pre-kindergarten, and expanding their public school programs to include preschoolers (Raver, 2004). Because pre-kindergarten has proven to build on an existing infrastructure, including relatively high standards and compensation for teachers, the Pre-K strategy appears to be gaining support across the nation.
For years the poverty rate has been on the rise. Research has shown poverty has threaten young children’s emotional and behavioral development, and success in school. Most children who persistently display disruptive behavior have not attended an early childhood development program. These children are deemed less positive about learning and have fewer opportunities. Research results suggest clear evidence of the benefits of a comprehensive classroom based intervention for children’s self regulation. Children who are enrolled in early childhood education programs had higher attention skills and greater impulse control as well as higher performance on EF task than children who weren’t enrolled. CSRP is apart of this growing trend. CSRP demonstrates the multiple steps agencies and early childhood education programs can take to support school readiness (Temple, 2011). Overall, all children who participate in a preschool program setting display better social and behavioral development. Their chances of success in the academic sphere are maximized. Children who attend early intervention programs thrive and prove to be more successful.
Early childhood education programs have proven to be very important among youth. Early intervention programs are important to children’s development and detecting developmental delays. Among the many things that early childhood education programs and educators are trained to detect. This can be a major help to parents who may not be able to identify a deficiency within their child. Faculty members can provide parents with early detection.
Structure is another asset that is important to a child’s development and growth. Early intervention programs provide children with structured learning and play. A structured environment is one of the key components of a well equipped early education center can provide. Most importantly, early childhood centers provide structure for children from ages birth to age five or birth to age twelve. Early childhood education is beneficial to all children at any stage.
Research and studies have shown early childhood education becoming more important to cities, states and communities. The children who participate in early intervention programs become better citizens. They are less likely to need government assistance, they earn more money, and commit less violent crimes. Means less money going towards jails and government assistant programs. This saves investors and tax payers more money. Which leaves states, communities and the people within it to benefit from the revenue produced by early childhood education programs. Proving that an investment in early childhood education programs can benefit low socio-economic communities financially, prepare children from birth to age five for school and create productive and better citizens.
References
Stegelin, D. (2004). Early Childhood Education. In F.P. schargeland J. Smink (eds.) Helping Student’s Graduate: A Strategic Approach to Dropout Prevention (pp. 115-123). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
Thompson, A. Why Early Childhood Education Matter. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from www.vwasc.org/blog-entry/27-06-2012/why-early-childhood-education-matters
Veisson, Marika. (2011). Global Perspectives in Early Childhood education: Diversity, Challenges and Possibilities (pp26-28).
Legal Momentum’s Family Initiative, & MIT Workplace Center (April). MIT Workplace Center. Retrieved May 2014, from http://web.mit.edu/workplacecenter/docs/Full%20Report.pdf
Education Encyclopedia-State University (n.d.). Stages of Growth Child Development – Early Childhood (Birth to Eight Years), Middle Childhood (Eight to Twelve Years) – StateUniversity.com. Retrieved May 2014, from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1826/Child-Development-Stages-Growth.html
O’Brien, A. (2012, April 19). The Economic Impact of Early Childhood Education | LFA: Join The Conversation – Public School Insights. Retrieved May 26, 2014, from http://www.learningfirst.org/economic-impact-early-childhood-education
Temple, J. A. (2011), Age 26 Cost–Benefit Analysis of the Child-Parent Center Early Education Program. Child Development, 82: 379–404. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01563.x
Raver, C. C. (2004). Placing Emotional Self-Regulation in Sociocultural and Socioeconomic Contexts. Child Development, 82(2011), 362-378. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00676.x
Mason-Dixion Polling and Research (2002. August). National Law Enforcement Leadership Survey. Retrieved February 1, 2013, from the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Website: http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/nationalkidspoll2002.pdf
Shonkoff, J. (2013), The Science of Early Childhood Development. (2013, January). Retrieved May 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLiP4b-TPCA
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. (2009, October). Retrieved May 2013, from http://www.fightcrime.org
Early Childhood Curriculum Project. (2014, February). Retrieved June 2014, from http://www.msde.maryland.gov/MSDE/divisions/child_care/preschool_curriculum/overview.html
Jermaine Byrant
Nicole Johnson
OVER
RATING
YEARS
