Benefits of early education
“High-quality preschools recognize the importance of providing an environment that teaches and nurtures young children (birth to 5) to learn these milestones and meet standards of learning.”
Some of our Lighthouse Kids practicing reading.
“The research tells us that 90 percent of brain development occurs in the first five years of a child’s life. It is this brain development that impacts the way children approach learning. Without positive interactions and a high-quality learning environment, children (birth to 5 yrs) can be disastrously behind even before they enter formal school.”
“The wisest possible path to genuine public education ‘reform’ is this: Invest early to give children the best possible start in school and in life.”
“Being able to read and ready to learn at an early age is a fundamental tool in creating a prosperous and economically vibrant society, and these skills are more important in the state of Florida now than ever before,”
“Ensuring that children (birth to 5 yrs) have positive experiences prior to entering school is likely to lead to better outcomes than remediation programs at a later age, and significant up-front costs can generate a strong return on investment.”
“The surest, most effective way to provide children with the opportunity to reach their full potential is to create a pathway to success through early childhood education. (birth to 5yrs)”~ James E. Rohr Pittsburg Post-Gazette, Jul 25, 2013
“85 % of who you are – your intellect, your personality, your social skills – is developed by age 5. Let’s invest where it makes the most difference.”~ Massachusetts Early Education for All
"The best way to improve the American workforce in the 21st century is to invest in early childhood education, "~ James Heckman (Nobel Laureate in Economics)
"Early education is most certainly the next wave of educational reform..."~ Dr. Donna Shalala (Former Secretary of Health and Human Services)
“We also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age. Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. “ ~ President Barack Obama State of the Union 2013 speech
"Effective preschool raises achievement levels for all children, and it offers real hope for closing the school-readiness gap."~ Jack O'Connell (CA State Superintendent of Education)
"Lack of awareness for the development period of 0 to 5 years old orphans a critical stage of childhood development. Education policy often focuses exclusively on K-12, higher education, and skills training. While success in these endeavors is necessary for an educated, functional, and socially advanced population, investments in education are made more effective when pre-school aged children (birth to 5 yrs) are surrounded by a supportive and learning environment before they even get to kindergarten."~ By Michael Seo, The Huffington Post, June 19, 2013
“We’d better smarten up, stop obsessing over high school students, and pay attention to where we get the biggest bang for the buck — on the front end, with infants to five-year-olds.”~ Sean Gonsalves, Cape Cod Times column “We’d Better Smarten Up,”
“This is an important issue because we know learning begins at birth,”~ Margaret Combs, senior early childhood education specialist