A three-part summary of research on early childhood development was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help Washington state leaders make the best policy on early learning. With the explosion of early childhood research, it is sometimes difficult to see the forest through the trees. I found these papers remarkably succinct, drawing from years of research.
The papers, Lessons from Research and the Classroom, focus on three topics:
1. Quality in Center-Based Early Learning: High-Level Findings and Trends;
2. Early Learning: The New Fact Base and Cost Sustainability; and
3. The Essential Elements of High-Quality Pre-K: An Analysis of Four Exemplar Programs.
While there are certainly areas where some researchers will disagree, this is a bold, clear look at the research.