While there is some evidence of long-term social benefits from early childhood educational interventions conducted in socially disadvantaged populations in the USA, there is limited evidence of similar benefits in different populations and countries. This study examined a range of social outcomes of adults aged 34-67 years who, between 1940 and…

We present evidence that the positive relationship between kindergarten entrance age and school achievement primarily reflects skill accumulation prior to kindergarten, rather than a heightened ability to learn in school among older children. The association between achievement test scores and entrance age appears during the first months of…

Working from a core perspective on the developmental implications of economic disadvantage, this study attempted to identify "family-based" mechanisms of economic effects on early learning and their potential "school-based" remedies. Multilevel analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort revealed that…

What should Pennsylvania's educational leaders do to help students meet high standards while keeping costs under control? However this question is asked, the answer is always the same. Investment in preschool programs produces kindergarten students able to cope with school demands and better equipped to meet the demands of "No Child Left…

The number of children beginning public school in the United States who speak Spanish as their native language--Spanish-speaking kindergartners (SSK)--continues to increase. It is important that the teacher workforce acquire the characteristics and the instructional and curricular tools necessary to provide these children with meaningful early…

"Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life" presents research findings on the effects of early childhood programs and practices in the first decade of life and their implications for policy development and reform. Leading scholars in the multidisciplinary field of human development and in early childhood learning…