What Have We Learned? What Should We Do?

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What Have We Learned?What Should We Do?
The Developmental Science of Early Childhood
Investments

• Ross A. Thompson, Ph.D.
• Department of Psychology
• University of California, Davis
• rathompson_at_ucdavis.edu

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Psychobiological development
brain development nutrition
developmental behavioral molecular genetics

• Psychobehavioral development

emotions memory
cognition language attachment
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Developmental neuroscience, developmental
psychology,and the economics of human capital
formation are yielding a common focus on
development in the early years
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The developing young mind is remarkably active,
capable, and self-organizing
Knowledge grows through the brains activity in
response to events that elicit interest and
attention -- not through passive instruction
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Experiences- positive and negative -are
incorporated into the developing brain
architecture

• Common human experiences
• Unique personal experiences
• Abusive, traumatic experiences

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Brain development is life-long,but how it
developschanges over time
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Cognitive, social, and emotional development
are deeply interdependent in the early years
Emotional health and social competence are a
strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities

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Early childhood stress influences developing
brain architecture

• Chronic, severe, and/or uncontrollable stressful
  experiences and can lead to stress management
  systems that respond at lower thresholds, and may
  impair learning and memory

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Supportive relationships are the active
ingredients of healthy brain development

• capture interest
• respond to childs
• individuality
• buffer stress
• offer safety security
• create predictable
• routines

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From Neurons to Neighborhoods The Science of
Early Childhood Development
The early childhood years lay a foundation that
influences the effectiveness of subsequent
education efforts.
Early intervention programs can improve the odds
for vulnerable young children
(www.nap.edu)
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Investing in Young Children
The healthy development of all children benefits
society by providing a solid foundation for
economic productivity, responsible citizenship,
strong communities, and a secure
nation. Investing in early childhood development
is warranted by preventing later difficulty as
well as enhancing developing potential
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Implications from Developmental Science

• It is better to prevent problems from developing
  than to remediate them later
• Pay attention to all aspects of early growth
  physical, cognitive, social, emotional
• Provide learning opportunities that are
  developmentally- and brain-appropriate
• Incorporate close relationships into efforts to
  improve childrens outcomes
• Invest with long-term yields in mind

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Potential strategies

• Enhancing access to basic prenatal and well-baby
  care to promote early detection
• Environmental policies reducing neurotoxin
  exposure for expectant mothers and young
  children.
• Early and intensive home visitation for the most
  vulnerable families
• High-quality, center-based early education for
  young children at risk of academic failure
• Focus on two-generation interventions
• Work-based income supplements for working parents
  with young children.

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Carefully designed investments in children can
benefit society
Cost/Benefit for Two Early Childhood
Programs(Dollars returned for each dollar
invested)
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A Two-Tiered Approach
Basic health services and high quality early
care and education can promote healthy
development and early detection of problems in
all children.
TARGETED SERVICES
HEALTH SERVICES EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
Targeted services for children experiencing
heightened stress can reduce disruptions of the
developing nervous and immune systems that lead
to later problems in learning, behavior, and
health.
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There Are No Magic Bullets

• Positive relationships and quality learning
  experiences can be promoted both at home and
  through a range of evidence-based parent
  education, family support, early care and
  education, and intervention services.

• Positive relationships and high quality learning
  experiences can be promoted both at home and
  through a range of evidence-based parent
  education, family support, early care and
  education, and intervention services.

A balanced approach to emotional, social,
cognitive, and language development will best
prepare children for success in school and later
in the workplace.
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On a purely economic basis, it makes a lot of
sense to invest in the young. . . . Early
learning begets later learning and early success
breeds later success. -- James J. Heckman,
Ph.D. Nobel Prize laureate and University of
Chicago economist

• Why?
• Skill begets skill (self-productivity) early
  abilities provide a foundation on which later
  capabilities are constructed
• Later remediation of early achievement failures
  is difficult and costly prevention of these
  difficulties is more cost-effective
• Both cognitive and noncognitive skills are
  essential foundations to adult workforce
  productivity
• Early investments have a multiplier effect they
  facilitate the productivity of later investments

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