New research from Professor James Heckman, a Nobel Prize-winning expert in the economics of human development, addresses an important issue in the ongoing debate over early childhood education programs: fadeout. His new comprehensive study shows that high-quality early childhood education has lasting effects, particularly when considering gains in social and emotional skills.
According to the study, “Quality early childhood education provides persistent boosts in socio-emotional skills even if the effects on cognitive skills diminish in the short run. The current obsession with cognitive fadeout obscures the important fact that socio-emotional skills have greater effects on later-life outcomes than cognitive skills, particularly for disadvantaged children.”
Social and emotional skills learned early in life drive higher achievement throughout the school years and into adulthood, providing a wide range of benefits, including higher full-time employment rates and better health, social and economic outcomes. The bottom line? High quality programs produce high quality outcomes.
Watch this short video to see some highlights of the benefits to children who receive high-quality early childhood education, and click here to view Professor Heckman’s new research.
High quality programs and increased access to such programs requires a financial investment on a local, state and national level. To learn more about how you can advocate for young children and families here in Durham, please click here.
