Early Childhood / Early Childhood Education

The education of young children who are at risk for school failure is widely recognized as an important factor in determining future school success. Previous reviews of programs for children between the ages of three and five, or before they begin kindergarten, demonstrate that early childhood education is a worthwhile investment.

This report systematically reviews research on the outcomes of programs that teach young children in a group setting before they begin kindergarten. The purpose of the review is to:

• assist educators and policy makers in selecting the types of programs to implement
• inform researchers about the current evidence on early childhood programs and guide further research

Full Report
Chambers, B., Cheung, A., Slavin, R.E., Smith, D., Laurenzano, M. (2010, September) Effective Early Childhood Education Programs: A Systematic Review. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research and Reform in Education.

A linked report published by CfBT, Effective Early Childhood Education Programs: Case Studies, provides more information on those programs that were found to have strong evidence of effectiveness. Effective Early Childhood Education Programs: Case Studies can be found on the CfBT website, www.cfbt.com.