Raising the most diverse generation of Americans ever
Next America: Early Childhood is a project of The Atlantic, supported by grants from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation. (More)
Why Doesn't Public School Start at Birth?
The economist James Heckman argues in a new paper that early-childhood education should commence at the very beginning of life.
-
![]()
Godong / Getty The American Obsession With Parenting
Parents of all income and education levels are spending more time promoting their kids’ development—yet socioeconomic gaps in childrearing behavior are growing.
-
![]()
Maskot / Getty How to Predict a Baby's First Word
A new study suggests what a toddler sees plays a major role.
-
![]()
Courtesy of Landscape Structures The Playground Where Babies Learn to Talk
A campaign to encourage brain development is using parks to deliver its message to children and their caregivers.
-
-
![]()
Mark Makela / Reuters The Ignored Science That Could Help Close the Achievement Gap
There’s a body of research on cognitive reading processes, so why isn’t it being utilized?
-
![]()
Ronen Zvulun / Reuters Light Research Hasn't Slowed Pre-K Expansion
In a rush to adopt popular early-education programs, policymakers have not always evaluated what actually works for children.
-
![]()
Ted S. Warren / AP The New Focus on Children's Mental Health
Most teachers don’t feel equipped to meet their students’ emotional needs, but some programs are working to change that.
-
![]()
Long Story Short Media Where Childcare Is an Economic Engine
Despite boasting one of the nation’s first universal pre-k programs, parents in Georgia still struggle to make sense of the dollars and cents of the state’s early care.
-
![]()
Long Story Short Media Is This as Good as Childcare Gets?
Massachusetts is, by many metrics, among the states doing the best job at providing for its youngest residents. But its system is still a letdown.
-
![]()
Susana Vera / Reuters Why Parents Are Being Forced to Find Childcare Underground
Many impoverished families in New Mexico can’t afford licensed early education and are forced to rely on unregulated facilities.
-
![]()
Claudia Daut / Reuters Even Black Preschool Teachers Are Biased
A new study shows that African American early educators hold students of the same race to a higher discipline standard.
-
![]()
Ted S. Warren / AP Preschool Teachers Earn Less Than Tree Trimmers
Science says early learning is crucial, but teacher pay suggests otherwise.
-
![]()
Courtesy of Kathy Richland Photography Does Mindfulness Actually Work in Schools?
Scholars want to know whether the practice helps young kids of color succeed academically.
-
![]()
Romeo Ranoco / Reuters Bringing Brain Science to Early Childhood
Policies are lagging behind child-development research and hurting vulnerable families in the process.
-
![]()
Matt Rourke / AP The 400,000 Latino Children Missing From the Census
“The persistent undercount of the nation’s second largest population group is a civil rights issue.”
-
![]()
Steven Senne / AP Beyond the Word Gap
Are efforts to boost kids’ vocabularies before kindergarten missing the mark?
-
![]()
Seth Perlman / AP When Lead Affects Learning
Newark is the latest city under scrutiny for its contaminated water supply.
-
![]()
Jae C. Hong / AP An Economist’s Case for Pre-K
Caridad Araujo of the Inter-American Development Bank explains why funding early-childhood education is a good investment.
-
![]()
Juleyka Lantigu-Williams / The Atlantic How San Antonio Is Navigating the Tricky Politics of Pre-K
In its quest to address early-childhood education, this Texas city is struggling to get everyone to play along.
-
![]()
Juleyka Lantigua-Williams / The Atlantic When the Whole Family Goes to Pre-K
San Antonio is bringing everyone to the classroom.
-
![]()
Juleyka Lantigua-Williams / The Atlantic Big Plans for Toddlers in San Antonio
An early-education experiment could help the city prepare for its future.
