Research has proven that the first five years play an enormous role in a child's ongoing development and future success.
  • 85% of a child's core brain structure is formed by age five which means that a child's experiences during the first five years of life can greatly impact the brain's ability to develop.
  • As much as half of school failure may be attributed to gaps in early learning and development that exist before school entry.
  • A child learns the meanings of about 1000 words a year from birth to the start of school.
  • Children's academic successes at ages 9 and 10 can be attributed to the amount of talk they hear from birth through age 3.
  • Vocabulary at age 3 predicts first-grade reading success; the first-grade vocabulary predicts eleventh-grade reading level.
For more information, please visit:
The Developing Child
Zero To Three
First Five Years Fund
Perry Preschool Study Results
Perry Preschool Through Age 40 Video
Community Partnership for Children
Early Childhood: Developmentally Appropriate Practices