Build a Solid Foundation

Published Online: December 20, 2011
COMMENTARY
Build a Solid Foundation

It’s time for the education policy world to learn a lesson from “The Three Little Pigs.” To withstand the attack of the big, bad wolf, one pig built a house out of straw, the second built a house of wood, and the third built a house of bricks. All three undertook the same project and had the same goal, but they experienced vastly different results. Two houses—and their occupants, in some tellings—sadly succumbed to the wolf. Only the house of brick remained standing as a tribute to that pig’s foresight and hard work.

It’s time for this nation to start planning like the little pig that built his house with bricks. We must invest in the best materials and follow the right blueprint.

Let’s begin with the foundation. Research shows us that 85 percent of the brain is formed by age 5. Nurturing and supportive relationships with adults and positive learning experiences during those early years shape the brain’s architecture and wire it for future learning.

As Walter Gilliam of the Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center has noted, addressing missed opportunities later in a child’s life is like physical rehabilitation: It’s harder, less successful, and more expensive than investing early.

Fortunately, policymakers are focusing on early childhood, giving us a golden opportunity to give all historically disadvantaged children the strong starts they deserve. [Children from working parents are disadvantaged, especially in the early months and years when infants need rich daily stimulation from mothers.]

Better-educated and -trained teachers generally are more knowledgeable about appropriate teaching practices and deliver better learning experiences for children. Early-childhood teacher education programs must provide sufficient course content and nurture practical skills, particularly to support children of diverse backgrounds.

Make the necessary financial investments. The nation gets a great return on its investments in early education. Researchers have shown that up to $10 can be returned for every $1 spent on early-childhood education in savings later on remediation and criminal justice, or in the form of higher earnings.

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