Assembly Required: Building Your Child’s Success Story
Why should you invest in early childhood education for your child? That is like asking why you
should send your child to drivers Ed to learn how to drive. Early childhood education is a
fundamental step towards your child’s success. Just like a driver’s license allows people to be
independent and provide for themselves and others, an early childhood education prepares
children to be independent and provide for themselves and others. Studies far and wide
continue to illustrate the lasting benefits early childhood education has on the lives of children,
their families, and the community.
Recently, I came across a very interesting TED Talk focused on early childhood education, “The
health child: assembly required”. If you haven’t already seen it, watch it here! “Healthy children
do not come preassembled, work is required” as stated by Dr. Kathleen Gallagher. Dr. Gallagher
is an expert on all things early childhood education. In her talk, she has many compelling
arguments backed by research on the benefits of an early childhood education. She refers to
The Abecedarian Project which is one of the world’s oldest early childhood education programs.
In this study, children born between the ages of 1972 and 1977 were randomly assigned as
infants to either of two programs. In one program children received full-time, high-quality
educational intervention in a childcare setting from infancy to age 5, and in the other they did
not participate in early childhood care.
The children who went through the Abecedarian Program:
Outperformed those who did not in areas of math, reading, and other intellectual
measures through high school and adulthood.
Were less likely to become teen parents
Are more likely to have a job and have a college degree
Are less likely to become depressed as adults
And were proven to have better physical health in their mid-30s
The children who did not participate in early childhood care:
More likely to be in Special Ed programs
Have lower IQ’s by the time they are 4
Only 40% were in college or employed in skilled labor (contrast to 70% of Abecedarian
kids)
These studies have been going on for years and it proves that it truly makes a difference in the
long term lives of these individuals. “Healthy environments, language interaction, [and]
relationships, all rely on the skills of educated healthy teachers”. Early childhood education
programs are sustained by quality teachers who help build the lives of children everywhere. At
Star Montessori we employ healthy, educated, and well compensated teachers. It is an
investment not only for our school but for our students. As parents, we want to provide our
child with the best, better than what we had. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and
develop at an early age.
Have you seen some of the benefits from an early childhood education in your child? What
made you choose an early childhood education for your family? Please comment and share
your thoughts!
Thanks for reading,
Star Montessori
