Early learning improves children's potential

by Laura Peterson

Last week Gov. Kitzhaber held a symposium outlining his early childhood education goals for Oregon. He pointed out that ensuring readiness for kindergarten depends heavily on factors like poverty and abuse. In addition, new research was released on how a baby's brain develops differently if it has been abused or neglected.

Science is finally catching up to what those of us in the children's mental health field have known for years and I'm thrilled that policymakers are responding.

Research also shows that investing in early childhood education and development reaps enormous benefits down the road. Investing in very early childhood development is a surefire way to create a more productive and healthy population.

I am in full support of the goals of the Oregon Education Investment Board but urge policymakers to refine their focus even more to focus on the first three years of life. Research suggests that approximately 70 percent of brain development occurs in the first three years. Waiting until these children are 4 and 5 years old means that a crucial window has closed. The earlier this investment is made, the greater the return for the child, their family, their school, their community and so on.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110827/OPINION/108270310/Early-learning-improves-children-s-potential