1. Do the early years matter?
Marjorie Smith
Thomas Coram Research Unit
Institute of Education, University of London

2. the relevance of the early years
the importance of early intervention, including ECEC
the importance of evidence.

3. The relevance of the early years

4. Research now shows that:
“Many challenges in adult society have their roots in the early years of life, including major public health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and mental health problems. Experiences in early childhood are also related to criminality, problems in literacy and numeracy, and economic participation”
Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008).
Geneva, World Health Organization.

5. Cohort studies have demonstrated that
Quality of parenting impacts on:
children’s health
behaviour
well being (emotional health)
intelligence
educational attainment

6. Alert and responsive baby
Mutual gaze
Alert and responsive baby
Increased talking to baby
More alert and responsive baby
Increased interactions with baby

7. Key attributes of parenting ‘capacity’.
physical care; health care; protection from danger; education; adequate nutrition; opportunities for development; preparation for adulthood and independence; development of self esteem; opportunity for spirituality, identity, affection and trust; social and cognitive skills; stability of close relationships; economic support; moral guidance; and model adult behaviour, and self regulation.
Campion (1995)

8. Intergenerational transmission of disadvantage
Early social disadvantage
Poorer performance at school
Lower income and higher fertility in adulthood
Poorer health care and nutrition in pregnancy
Less empowered to provide stimulation to their
own children

9. The importance of early intervention

10. “Each one of you is your own person, endowed with rights, worthy of respect and dignity. Each one of you deserves to have the best possible start in life, to complete a basic education of the highest quality, to be allowed to develop your full potential and provided the opportunities for meaningful participation in your communities.”
Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel
(UNICEF, 2000)

11. “Economists now assert on the basis of the available evidence that investment in early childhood is the most powerful investment a country can make, with returns over the life course many times the amount of the original investment.”
WHO (2008)

12. Effects of Pre-school
Preschool experience (compared to none) enhances all-round development in children
Gains are greatest in social development
Duration of attendance – starting earlier – is related to better intellectual outcomes
Quality of provision is important – particularly for disadvantaged children
Gains remain evident into early school years
based (largely) on EPPE project findings, 2004

13. Results of pre schooling/early intervention
Vary:
as a function of the domain evaluated, and
the timescale of the evaluation
Effects on intellectual development often ‘wash out’
Impacts on academic learning (school readiness) vary with socioeconomic status
Findings on language impacts vary – some contradictory results

14. the importance – and potential pitfalls - of evidence

16. Early versus later intervention
For example, early speech and language problems
minor problems
more serious problems
severe problems
child's age