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Early Childhood Research

From language development to overall health, research consistently finds what happens in a child’s earliest years is most important for healthy development, growth and long-term well-being.

Notable Publications & Projects

Below are some of the most well-respected research studies on early childhood and early brain development, including some of Start Early’s own research and publications.

Longitudinal Research Studies

Read on and learn more about why quality early learning and care helps address the long-standing injustices in our communities and is a proven solution to breaking the cycle of generational poverty.

The Abecedarian Project

The Abecedarian Project demonstrated that young children who receive high-quality early education from infancy to age 5 do better in reading and math and are more likely to stay in school longer, graduate from high school, and attend a four-year college.

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HighScope Perry Preschool

By age 40, adults who participated as 3- and 4-year-olds in quality preschool were more likely to have graduated from high school, held a job, made higher earnings, and committed fewer crimes than those who didn’t attend, according to this seminal study.

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Early Head Start Research & Evaluation

Children enrolled in Early Head Start performed better on measures of cognition, social and emotional, and language functioning than their peers who were not enrolled, according to this landmark study of the federal Early Head Start program. The study also found that children who participated in Early Head Start (from birth to age 3) and later programs (from age 3 to 5) had the most positive outcomes.

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