March 30, 2021

5 Top Reasons Why Early Learning Matters

At The Devine School, our educators know they’re helping lay the foundation for lifelong learning and success—even with the youngest of students. Myriad studies have shown that an early start to learning and socialization only helps students in the long run…but here are several concrete benefits that parents need to focus on when making the commitment to early care.

  1. Starting strong, finishing stronger: A recent Journal of American Pediatrics study showed kindergarten math skills contributed to better end-of-high-school grades and lower dropout risks. Further, students who began kindergarten with stronger vocabulary and math skills showed greater chances of healthy lifestyle behavior by the end of fourth grade, along with more optimal emotional adjustment, classmate relationships, and physical activity.
  2. Starting behind vs. staying behind: Forbes reported in 2016 that nearly one-third of students starting school are already falling behind, with almost half of children from poorer backgrounds considerably impacted…and kids who start learning later than others can continue to lag. And while a 2020 Science Daily study suggests there is work that can be done to catch up, common sense dictates giving children every early advantage to keep up with their peers.
  3. Rounding out whole-child development: First Five Years Fund notes that high-quality early childhood education reduces kids’ timidity, improves attentiveness, boosts cognitive/socioemotional development through kindergarten and beyond, and helps close the achievement gap—increasing IQ scores by up to 10 points!
  4. Reducing the need for interventions: Rand Research reported that high-quality preschool programs showed sustained benefits for other aspects of school performance besides achievement scores (e.g., they lowered rates of special education placement by 10%, reduced numbers of children repeating a grade by 15%, and increased rates of high school graduation by 14%).
  5. Getting the word out (and in): Early language skills and the foundation for reading ability/school readiness are developed during the first years of life. Higher reading exposure was 95% positively correlated with a growing region supporting semantic language processing in the brain (and check out these 29 other fascinating child literacy statistics from The Literacy Project).

So: What are you waiting for? Now’s the time to give your little ones every advantage and a strong start in life…and The Devine School can help. Contact us today for more details on our nurturing programs, experienced staff, and safe surrounding so your children can start, stay and succeed in school!