WE KNOW:

Early intervention programs have the potential to alter achievement in elementary school.

From a comparative perspective, early childhood intervention programs have larger effects --  by one-half to three-quarters – than later interventions.  Moreover, the effects of early interventions continue through elementary school and have greater impact than the immediate effects of other interventions. 

WE KNOW:

“Children who haven't been routinely read to or who haven't been exposed to a language-rich environment begin school with a devastating disadvantage," 

After grade three, demands on the student change from "learning to read" to "reading to learn," as reading becomes a fundamental means to acquire new knowledge about all subjects.

Children who experience reading difficulties in the middle grades are more likely than children without reading difficulties to drop out of school later in their academic careers....

WE KNOW:

That Early Childhood Programs lead to:

·        Improved cognitive development
·        improved social development
·        improved physical development
·        improved emotional development
·        improved language skills.

A Rand Research Brief entitled:  Early Childhood Interventions: Benefits, Costs and Savings

Asked the following:

1.    Do early interventions targeted at disadvantaged children benefit participating children and their families?

After critically reviewing the literature and discounting claims that are not rigorously demonstrated, the researchers conclude that these programs can provide significant benefits  --  CAN – is stressed since results vary with quality and quantity of program…High quality programs are those with low child to adult ratios, competent, fairly compensated childcare workers / teachers,

2.    Might government funds invested early in the lives of some children result in compensating decreases in government expenditures?

Again, after updating and refining earlier estimates, the researchers find that, at least for some disadvantaged children and their families, the answer to this question is yes. –

The Broader benefit is the potential savings the government (and thus taxpayers) realizes when families participating in early childhood intervention require lower public expenditures later in life.

Of nine programs studied, the following advantages were recognized:

·        Gains in emotional or cognitive development for the child, typically in the short run, or improved parent-child relationships.

·        Improvements in educational process and outcomes for the child

·        Increased economic self-sufficiency, initially for the parent and later for the child, through greater labor force participation, higher income, and lower welfare usage.

·        Reduced levels of criminal activity.

·        Improvements in health-related indicators, such as child abuse, maternal reproductive health, and maternal substance abuse.

Many of these statistically significant differences turn out to be of substantial magnitude.