Brain Research
Early experiences have a powerful and lasting influence on how a child's brain develops. This works both ways - it is a window of opportunity to optimize development and also a period of vulnerability to harmful or stressful experiences. Research shows that while the brain is built over time, brain circuits stabilize with age, making them increasingly more difficult to alter. Therefore, it is more efficient, both biologically and economically, to get things right the first time rather than to try to fix them later. Unfortunately, this also means that children who start behind at kindergarten have a steeper hill to climb.
The basic science of brain development can be summarized into six core concepts. These key findings should drive Washington State early learning policy.
- Brains are built over time and a substantial proportion is constructed during the early years of life.
- Both genes and external experience shape the architecture of the developing brain.
- Brain architecture and social skills are built "from the bottom up," with simple circuits and skills providing the foundation for more advanced circuits and skills to develop over time.
- Cognitive, emotional and social capabilities develop through a process that is both simultaneous and deeply interconnected.
- Toxic stress (such as negative external environmental factors) in early childhood is associated with disruptive effects on the developing brain architecture which can lead to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health.
- Providing the right conditions for healthy development in early childhood is likely to be more effective and efficient than treating the problems at a later age.
(Center on the Developing Child, 2007)
We know that there is substantial brain development from birth to age five. However, in Washington, the majority of state investments for children do not begin until age five. Eighty-five percent of a child's core brain structure is formed by age three, but less than four percent of public investment in education and child development occurs during that period. (NIEER, 2005). Therefore, public investment in services for young children does not correspond with the dramatic period of brain development that occurs early in a child's life.
Attending a high-quality pre-kindergarten has a solid impact on a child's success both in school and in life. Two benchmark studies in early learning, High/Scope Perry Preschool Program and the Abecedarian Early Childhood Invention Project attempt to quantify the benefits of early education. Long-term benefits are comprehensive and can include:
- higher employment and earnings;
- better health outcomes;
- lower crime rates higher levels of verbal and mathematical intellectual achievement;
- greater success at school (lower special education and higher graduation rates); and,
- higher government revenues due to lower government expenditures and higher economic activity.
The foundation for success is established in the early years of a child's life. Quality early education programs capitalize on this pivotal developmental phase and give each child a better chance to thrive in school and in life. The challenge in Washington is to capitalize on this new science to build a strong foundation for improved learning and behavior that will produce better outcomes in academic achievement, economic productivity, and responsible citizenship.
Washington Early Learning Resources:
Washington State Department of Early Learning
Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington
National Early Learning Resources:
Center on the Developing Child
National Institute for Early Education Research