The Huffington Post – Vanessa Cardenas
“Early education opportunities are critical to lifelong success. The first three years of childhood are a period of extraordinarily rapid brain development. Several studies have documented significant cognitive gains for children who attend Pre-K programs. Furthermore, research has shown that students who attended Pre-K and kindergarten are more likely to have higher reading and extrapolation skills by the third grade than students who did not. This is key, considering third grade tests scores are a remarkably accurate indicator of whether or not a child will go to college. Yet, while we know the importance of early education, the reality is that as a nation we are not doing enough to make sure it is available to the ones who need it the most…f we are truly committed to closing the educational achievement gap in K-12 or the income gap down the road, we must start by ensuring that our kids have access to early childhood education.”(more)