Early education and care
Dianne Bruce
Dianne Bruce is executive director of Edward Street Child Services in Worcester.
10. It drives success in school and life.
A high-quality preschool experience can give all children the essential building blocks for lifelong learning.
9. The first few years are important.
From birth to the age of 5, the brain develops most rapidly for cognitive and executive function skills. That leads to academic and social success.
8. Teacher-child interactions provide a foundation.
Close, positive relationships will assure the establishment of trust.
7. Diverse classrooms help.
Young children in diverse settings begin to develop social skills that will serve as the basis of a lifetime of interpersonal relationship abilities.
6. It levels the playing field and closes the achievement gap.
High-quality early education allows all children, regardless of socio-economic status or parent education level, to enter school ready to learn and succeed.
5. Don't forget parents.
Parents remain their child's first and most important teachers. They reinforce the developing skills learned in school.
4. Play time is learning time.
Young children are experiential learners. What may look like play to adults is actually a series of self-designed experiments allowing a child to make sense of his or her world.
3. It pays off.
Economists, including Nobel laureate James Heckman, believe there's a 7 to 10 percent annual return through savings in special education, juvenile justice, health and public assistance costs.
2. It allows parents to work.
Studies indicate that working parents' productivity is increased when their children are in a safe and caring environment.
1. It helps recruitment.
Often, young employees have young children. A high-quality early education and care system is as important as a K-12 school system in attracting talented young families.
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