Talking Points on Early Childhood Development

1.      90% of brain growth occurs between ages 0 and 5.  However, 90 % of public spending dedicated to children occurs after age 5.  (Rand Corporation)

2.      New brain scan technology dramatically shows the difference in brain growth between children from nurturing, stimulating environments and those who have experienced isolation and deprivation.  Children who have little opportunity to play or who are rarely touched have brains that are 20% to 30% smaller than normal.
(Source: Time magazine Special Report, February, 1997.)

3.     One third (33%) of Maryland’s children arrive at kindergarten without the social and cognitive skills they need to fully learn from and participate in the kindergarten curriculum.  They lack such fundamental skills as how to distinguish between numbers and letters or how to hold a book and pencil. These children will be at risk for school failure and associated negative outcomes.  (Children Entering School Ready to Learn: School Readiness  Information, 2006-2007, Maryland State Department of Education)
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/msde/newsroom/publications/school_readiness.htm

4.      Research on brain growth and development, ages 0 to 5, indicates that social, emotional, and cognitive development – the essential elements of school readiness – are heavily influenced by early learning environments, both at home and in out-of-home care. (From Neurons to Neighborhoods, National Research Council) http://books.nap.edu/books/0309069882/html/index.html

5.      Well-designed preschool programs can help children overcome serious deficits in their home environments.  Such programs have been shown to have positive social effects including increasing high school graduation rates, reducing dependence on social services (welfare, etc.), increasing income, and increasing home ownership rates.  (High/Scope Perry Preschool Study) http://www.highscope.org/