It is unsettling for everyone to acknowledge that the test scores and graduation rates of United States students are below other countries. We know that a high school diploma is critical for young adults as a step towards receiving additional education or training which more likely opens the door for them to acquire a livable wage job throughout their adulthood. But what is too easily forgotten is that factors for determining whether or not a student is successful in high school and after high school graduation really happened when those students were born and even prenatally after their conception.
The research is clear and we see it every day in our schools that even 5-year-olds begin kindergarten with a significant range of academic readiness. And while the K-12 education system works tirelessly to “close the gap,” it is extremely challenging to do this. The reality is that the experiences babies, toddlers and preschoolers have had has the largest impact on whether a student will graduate, and what path they will be on after high school.
In the early 1960s President Lyndon Johnson declared a “War on Poverty” and created Head Start for children and families in poverty. Head Start is a very important program that has provided millions of children millions of hours of education and also has an important focus on health care and parent support. And now, over 50 years later, President Obama repeatedly cites quality early childhood education as a critical link to re-building America’s economy and increasing our ability to produce worldwide leaders in science and engineering.
The importance of assuring that every child enters kindergarten on the “same playing field” cannot be overstated, and at the same time it can feel like an impossible goal. We know that the “gap” is far more than just knowing letter names or being able to count to 10. It is about making sure that every child from conception has a physically healthy, nutritious diet and that they receive ongoing health care. They need adequate sleep most nights, they need adults who respond to their needs and assure that they consistently feel safe, loved and that the environment they are in has consistent routines that are predictable and enable them to feel successful as they learn and change at an amazing rate every single day.
We also now know that one of the most critical early childhood factors that impacts school success is the words, conversations and vocabulary that the adults in their environment use. A young child’s brain is so “ready” to learn (like a sponge) from birth and it needs to hear thousands of words, complex sentences, conversations and enriching vocabulary every day. It needs adults to talk about what is happening, feelings, what the child sees and what will happen next.
Children need adults who consistently talk with them, wait and encourage them to respond with their own words and to use their emerging vocabulary, and read engaging stories every day. When these things happen consistently, that child is far more likely to have the language foundation from which they can successfully build reading, science, math and social skills in the K-12 system.
So what can we do? We need to help assure that all parents, caregivers, childcare providers and preschool teachers know how to do this. For some this is naturally easy while for others this is a skill that needs to be learned. But learning how to talk with children and build their language foundation is not only important but it is fun!
The Cook County School District will soon be setting up an Early Childhood Committee to develop a long-term plan for how we can all work together to better assure that all of our children enter kindergarten ready for success. Please contact me if you want to be on our important team!
Each month a representative of our local schools will offer thoughts in Issues in Education. This month’s contributor is Gwen Carman, PK-5 principal of Cook County Schools.
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