Evidence Based Early Childhood Education and Development

Better Futures for Children advocates and supports the dissemination and implementation of evidence based school and after-school ECDE programs, interventions and practices. Early childhood education and development (ECED) refers to formal and informal educational programs that guide the growth and development of children throughout their preschool years (birth to age five). Children at these ages are entirely dependent on their adult caregivers, including parents, daycare providers, babysitters, extended family members and teachers.

The broad purpose of ECED is to provide children with strategies that help them develop the emotional, social and cognitive skills needed to become lifelong learners.  ECED encompasses a wide variety of activities designed to promote children’s cognitive and social development before entering kindergarten. Some programs primarily focus on school and academic readiness while others embrace a “whole child” approach that emphasizes mental and emotional preparedness.  

Successful and effective early childhood learning programs are dynamic, challenging, enriching and carefully planned. However, available research suggests that most of the learning and child development approaches and strategies used in ECDE are ineffective, and in some cases harmful to the children.  This sorry state of affairs arises from limited dissemination and implementation of evidence based school and community ECDE programs, interventions and practices. Evidence-based ECDE are approaches and strategies that have been shown by research to be effective ways to develop the emotional, social and cognitive skills needed to become lifelong learners.