The Science of Early Childhood Development: Lessons for Policy and

Practice

TODD GRINDAL ED. D

Abt Associates

Julius B. Richmond Dissertation Fellow, Center on the Developing Child at

Harvard University

Todd_Grindal@abtassoc.com

The Foundation of a Successful Society is Built in Early Childhood

Experiences Build Brain Architecture

birth 6 years 14 years

Experience Shapes Brain Architecture by Over-Production Followed by Pruning

(700 synapses formed per second in the early years)

Neural Circuits are Wired in a Bottom-Up Sequence

FIRST YEAR

-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Birth (Months) (Years)

Sensory Pathways (Vision, Hearing)

Language Higher Cognitive Function

Source: Nelson (2000)

The Ability to Change Brains Decreases Over Time

Source: Levitt (2009)

Birth 10 20 30

Physiological “Effort” Required to Enhance Neural Connections

Normal Brain Plasticity Influenced by Experience

Age (Years)

40 50 60 70

Interactions Shape Brain Circuitry

Brains and Skills are Shaped by the “Serve and Return” Nature of Human Interaction

Language environment impacts children’s language development

16 mos. 24 mos. 36 mos.

Cu

mu

lati

ve V

ocab

ula

ry (

Wo

rd

s)

College Educated Parents

Working Class Parents

Welfare Parents

Child’s Age (Months)

200

600

1200

Source: Hart & Risley (1995)

Early Experiences Alter Gene Expression and Shape Development

Neuron

Genes Carry Instructions that Tell Our Bodies How to Work

Nucleus

Chromosome

DNA

Gene

Early Experiences Leave Lasting Chemical “Signatures” on Genes

External

Experience

Gene

Regulatory

Proteins

Epigenetic “Signature” Turns Gene On or Off

Example 1:

Early Experience Affects Differences in Adult Anxiety in Mice

Source: Gross & Hen, 2004

High care

Low care

Low

High

Early Life Experiences Are Built Into Our Bodies (For Better or For Worse)

.

Toxic Prolonged activation of stress response systems

in the absence of protective relationships.

Three Levels of Stress Response

Tolerable Serious, temporary stress responses, buffered by supportive relationships.

Positive Brief increases in heart rate,

mild elevations in stress hormone levels.

Source: C.A. Nelson (2008); Marshall, Fox & BEIP (2004)

Extreme Neglect Positive Relationships

Severe Neglect Affects Brain Power

Significant Adversity Impairs Development in the First Three Years

Number of Risk Factors Source: Barth, et al. (2008)

Ch

ild

ren

wit

h

Develo

pm

en

tal

Dela

ys

1-2 3 5 4 6 7

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

17

Example 1: Risk Factors for Adult Heart Disease are

Embedded in Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse Experiences Source: Dong, et al. (2004)

Od

ds R

ati

o

0 1 2 3 4 5,6 7,8

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Example 3:

Early Abuse Affects Later Behavior

Source: Pollak & Kistler (2002)

Profound Neglect Impairs Physical Growth

Source: Johnson et al. (2000)

What does this tell of us about early childhood policy and programs?

.

22

Children randomly assigned to leave the institution and be placed and high quality foster care environment Children placed in foster care before age 2 appear to

catch up with typical children on measures of cognitive development

These children had lower rates of ADHD, disruptive behaviors, and depression when compared to children who stayed in the institution

As a result of this study, • The Romanian government passed a law forbidding the

institutionalization of non-handicapped children under age 2.

• Over 27,000 foster homes have been created.

Bucharest Early Intervention Project

23

Head Start closes one-third of the gap between median and low income family income on a summary of young adult outcomes:

High school graduation

College attendance

Idleness (not in high school, no wages)

Crime

Teen parenthood

Health status

Long-term effects of Head Start

Source: Deming, 2009

24

Chicago Child-Parent Center (2004)

• Children who did not receive a strong education from PK through 3rd grade were three times more likely to be held back and more likely to be placed in special education than those who had a strong PK-3 foundation.

Preparing to Succeed-Boston (2011)

• Attending preschool erased the Latino/white test score gap and significant reduced the African American/White test score gap

Preschools in the Public Schools

Source: Reynolds, et al., 2004

25

The impact of attending high quality early childhood education can be observed nearly four

decades later

26

Source: Heckman, 2006 p.1902

Rates of return to human capital investment

27

36 months: Adjusted means for child outcome by quality

Source: NICHD ECCRN, 2000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Reynell Verbal

Comprehension

Bracken School Readiness

Low Quality

Low/Average Quality

High/Average Quality

High Quality

Exclusive Maternal Care

Adju

sted m

ean

s

28

The best of what we do is still not good enough

To Individuals

To Society

$6.60-$9.20

$2

$6

$8

$4

$10

Increased earnings

Crime costs, special education and welfare savings, increased income taxes paid

$4.10

Abecedarian Project

(through age 21)

Perry Preschool (through age 40)

Total Return per $1 Invested

Sources: Masse & Barnett (2002) Heckman et al. (2009)

The economic impact of attending a high quality early childhood education program

The best of what we do, is not yet good enough.

31

Program Evaluation Research Helps Identify Effectiveness Factors

Not all programs are effective.

Effectiveness factors are key to distinguishing those programs that work from those that do not.

Our goal: to provide clearer guidance than the usual calls for “quality.”

Source: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2007)

32

Effectiveness Factors for

Early Care and Education Programs

• Skilled and well-compensated personnel

• Small group sizes and high adult-child ratios

• Language-rich environment

• Developmentally appropriate “curriculum”

• Safe physical setting

• Warm and responsive adult-child interactions

Source: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2007)

33

Effectiveness Factors for Parenting Education Programs:

Parenting education with modeling and/or opportunities for practice

33

0.370.39

0.13

0.25

0.14

0.07

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

Child cognitive skills Child pre-academicskills

Parent warmth &responsiveness

ECE programs thatdid provideparentingeducation withmodeling

ECE programs thatdid not provideparenting

education with

modeling

Grindal et. al. (under review)

34

Four Targets for Professional Development

Source: U.S. Department of Education (2010)

Institutional/

Organizational

Practices Classroom/Grou

p Setting Quality

Educator Education, ECE

Training,

Well-Being

Practices Related to

Specific Child

Outcomes

35

Sources of Toxic Stress

Supportive Relationships, Stimulating Experiences, and Health-Promoting Environments

Healthy Developmental Trajectory

Delayed Development

Current Conceptual Framework for Early Childhood Policy and Practice

36

Protective Interventions

Designing an Enhanced Framework that Balances Enrichment and Protection

Sources of Toxic Stress Healthy Developmental

Trajectory

Supportive Relationships, Stimulating Experiences, and Health-Promoting Environments

37

An Integrated, Science-Based Logic Model Could Inform More Effective

Early Childhood Policies and Programs

Source: Center on the Developing Child (2010)

Health &

Development

Across the

Lifespan

Preconception

Prenatal

Early

Childhood

Middle

Childhood

Adolescence

Adulthood

Biological

Adaptations or

Disruptions

Foundations of

Healthy

Development

Caregiver &

Community

Capacities

Policy &

Program

Levers for

Innovation

www.developingchild.harvard.edu