The Importance of Early Learning

Proud to share the latest study (link in comments) from our collaboration with the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, where evidence-driven innovation is transforming early literacy outcomes. What excites me most about these findings is that our students' progress is happening because of the powerful collaboration across an entire ecosystem—from goal setting to execution and the evidence-based results we’re seeing today. This is a clear example of how we can work together to achieve societal goals and optimize human potential through effective investment in early learning. Here’s how it all came together: •   🏆 Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2030 Blueprint recognizes the importance of early learning and sets the ambitious goal of ensuring 100% kindergarten readiness as part of its vision for prosperity and workforce development. •   🏛️ Legislative action and rulemaking by the Florida Department of Education, has created accountability frameworks to align early learning with these long-term goals. •   💡 The ELC of Palm Beach assesses the needs of its community (providers, educators, parents, and students) and executes toward this goal by choosing to use My Reading Academy, which has a proven track record of improving literacy outcomes for young learners.   Key Outcomes: 📈 45% higher scores on the Star Early Literacy assessment, equivalent to four extra months of learning. 🎯 25% more students meeting Florida’s new kindergarten readiness benchmarks. 🔄 Students are 48% more likely to meet or exceed new monthly learning gain benchmarks. 👨🎓 9 out of 10 educators reported increased student confidence as readers and greater enjoyment in reading. 👩🏫 An overwhelming 97% of educators want to continue using My Reading Academy in their classrooms. This is how meaningful change happens—a demonstration of how setting ambitious goals, aligning legislation and policy, and executing evidence-based programs can transform students' lives, help a state invest in its future, and ultimately optimize human potential. What other examples of an ecosystem approach driving innovation in education are there? How do we replicate successful models like this that align diverse interests to create a broad societal impact? Please share your thoughts on collaborating to drive transformative educational outcomes that help achieve broader societal goals. Let’s invest in approaches that redefine what’s possible for early learning! 🚀 #EdTech #EarlyLearning #Innovation #EducationPolicy #KindergartenReadiness #ECE #WorkforceDevelopment

The return on investment (ROI) for childcare, particularly high-quality early childhood education, is significant. Studies have shown that investing in these programs yields a return of $7 to $10 for every dollar spent. This not only leads to economic benefits but also long-term outcomes, workforce participation, social advantages, and health benefits. - Economic Benefits: Investing in high-quality early childhood education programs results in reduced costs in special education, grade repetition, and remediation. It also lowers social services, healthcare, and criminal justice expenditures while increasing tax revenues from higher earnings. - Long-term Outcomes: Children who benefit from quality early childhood education achieve higher educational attainment, earn more throughout their lives, and are less likely to engage in criminal activity, reducing societal costs associated with crime. - Workforce Participation: Reliable childcare access enables more parents to join the workforce, boosting household income, economic stability, overall productivity, and economic growth. - Social Benefits: Quality early childhood education fosters better social and emotional development, leading to improved behavior and social skills. This translates to better classroom environments and lower rates of behavioral issues, reducing the need for disciplinary actions. - Health Benefits: Early education programs focusing on health and nutrition promote better physical and mental health outcomes for children, ultimately reducing long-term healthcare costs. The ROI for childcare extends beyond financial gains to encompass social, educational, and health advantages, contributing to a more prosperous and resilient society.

Dr. Pamela Snow said it best: “Research shows that if a child reaches Year Three—that is, the midpoint of primary school—and is still not a competent reader, he has only a 20% chance of catching up. And this is only if they receive intensive, high-quality intervention. We also know that, in broad terms, addressing a reading difficulty in Year Four requires four times as many resources as addressing the same issue in Year One.” This doesn't mean there’s no hope beyond fourth grade — but it is a call to action: We must stop waiting for students to fail before we intervene. We must stop accepting the myth that “they’ll catch up later.” We must act early, act decisively, and act based on science. 🧠 The brain is most malleable in the early years. 📚 PreK through Grade 3 are not just school years—they are prevention years. 💰 Delayed intervention isn’t just more expensive—it’s less effective. We owe it to our children—and to our future society—to ensure early, evidence-based literacy instruction is the norm, not the exception. The cost of inaction is too high. The window of opportunity is too short. The stakes are too great.

I recommend everyone read the NESET European Commission’s new report, Effective Practices for Literacy Teaching, which draws on 600 studies and has gone through 7 rounds of review. It sends a resounding message: -Early literacy matters. Language exposure by age 3 predicts later comprehension. -Decoding isn’t enough. Reading instruction must balance phonics with a culture of reading, love of stories, writing, and meaning-making. -Talk fuels comprehension. Purposeful conversation in partnerships and small groups builds vocabulary, reasoning, and confidence. -Reading culture counts. Kids need classroom libraries and a community built around books. This report is already shaping policy across Europe—and it needs to do so here as well. https://lnkd.in/exa_5ejD #literacy #earlyeducation #childhoodeducation

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮’𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 75% of children who start kindergarten behind never catch up—a reality that impacts our workforce, economy, and communities for years to come. Investing in early learning isn’t just about education; it’s about economic prosperity, workforce readiness, and social mobility. ✅ A Workforce Issue: 68% of Florida children under six live in households where all adults work. Yet, access to affordable, high-quality child care remains a major barrier for working families. When parents can’t find care, they leave the workforce—costing Florida $5.4 billion in lost economic value. ✅ An Education Issue: By age three, 85% of a child’s brain is developed, setting the foundation for lifelong learning. We must increase access to early childhood programs that build critical skills like impulse control, emotional regulation, and communication—skills essential for success in school, careers, and life. ✅ Right now, a two-parent household making minimum wage earns too much to qualify for tuition assistance—yet child care costs more than in-state college tuition. This isn’t sustainable. If we want to strengthen Florida’s workforce and economy, we must prioritize early learning investments: 📌 Expand access to School Readiness tuition assistance 📌 Increase specialized instruction for children with disabilities 📌 Invest in early childhood educators through better compensation and professional development We have the data. We have the roadmap. Now, we need action. Let’s work together to ensure every child in Florida starts school ready to succeed—because early learning impacts everything. Here is the 2025 Legislative Briefing on Early Learning by the The Children's Movement of Florida Madeleine Thakur Ric Banciella, CNP Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC) Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Florida Chamber of Commerce Ruvos Launch Tally #Education #EconomicDevelopment #EarlyLearning #FloridaFuture #WorkforceDevelopment

You probably know that reading with your baby is important. But do you know why? There’s a long list of reasons, but today let’s focus on one of the most important of them all: the development of a rich vocabulary. Your baby learns new words through exposure. But the truth is that most of our day to day experiences can be a little mundane. That’s where books come in. Take a moment to consider this lovely father-daughter read aloud and all of the new language introduced. It’s not unreasonable to think this family might have a pet - likely a dog or a cat. But consider all the other animal words here, for example, that may not be a part of their daily experience. In just this short snippet alone, father and daughter discuss lambs, sheep, kittens, bunnies, monkeys, and lion cubs. Notice how dad makes a point of repeating the word “lamb” as our hero interacts with the fuzzy woolen material embedded in the board book. Notice too how he uses the opportunity to introduce additional words (ball and yarn) inspired by the pictures, even when not included in the text itself. In a little over a minute, dad introduces his daughter to a whole collection of words that they’d be unlikely to have discussed were it not for this time spent reading together. Now imagine the impact of daily reading over a period of years. Research consistently links vocabulary size with long term academic success. A rich vocabulary is also a tremendous advantage as children learn to read for themselves. Reading isn’t the only way to expose young children to a rich and varied vocabulary, of course. But it sure is a great one. Read with your children daily. It’s an investment in their future that you’ll never regret. This stellar example was shared to IG by lelah_and_lou. #earlychildhood #earlyyears #eyfs #parenting