Compelling new scientific evidence reveals that a child's earliest experiences have a major role in shaping the likelihood of getting off to a good start in life and school, for these are the years when the essential structures for growth and learning are put in place. These findings have important implications for the content of child care and early education programs and highlight the public interest in assuring the quality of those programs. Similarly, decades of research on the science of learning has shown that deep understanding requires both a rich foundation of factual knowledge and command of the subject's conceptual frameworks—whether it be chess, mathematics, or jet engine mechanics. This research has important implications for educational practice—what and how teachers teach— and for policy, for example, state education standards. This booklet includes executive summaries of five reports that, taken together, provide policy makers, educators, and parents with important tools for progress. It is intended for federal administrators, members of Congress, leaders of nongovernmental organizations, and others who want to use the best available science to develop policies to promote child development and education. Conducted under the auspices of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Research Council—the Academies' operating arm—and the Institute of Medicine, these studies exemplify the contributions of science in charting new directions for policies and programs.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• Overview
  • AVAILABILITY INFORMATION
• From Neurons to Neighborhoods. The Science of Early Childhood Development
  • COMMITTEE ON INTEGRATING THE SCIENCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
• Executive Summary
  • PUTTING THE STUDY IN CONTEXT
  • THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGE
  • CORE CONCEPTS OF DEVELOPMENT
  • POLICY AND PRACTICE
  • RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
  • CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
• Eager to Learn. Educating Our Preschoolers
  • COMMITTEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD PEDAGOGY
• Executive Summary
  • CONTEXT OF THE REPORT AND COMMITTEE CHARGE
  • NEW UNDERSTANDINGS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND PEDAGOGY
  • VARIATION AMONG CHILDREN
  • QUALITY IN EDUCATION AND CARE
  • FEATURES OF QUALITY PROGRAMS
  • CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY
  • ASSESSMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS
  • CONCLUSION
• Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children
  • COMMITTEE ON THE PREVENTION OF READING DIFFICULTIES IN YOUNG CHILDREN
• Executive Summary
  • THE COMMITTEE'S APPROACH
  • CONCEPTUALIZING READING AND READING INSTRUCTION
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • CONCLUSION
• How People Learn Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
  • COMMITTEE ON LEARNING RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE
• Learning: From Speculation to Science
  • FOCUS: PEOPLE, SCHOOLS, AND THE POTENTIAL TO LEARN
  • DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING
• Improving STUDENT LEARNING. A Strategic Plan for Education Research and Its Utilization
  • COMMITTEE ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A STRATEGIC EDUCATION RESEARCH PROGRAM
• Executive Summary
  • FOUR KEY QUESTIONS
  • THE PROPOSED STRATEGIC EDUCATION RESEARCH PROGRAM
• Selected Reports on Child Development, Learning, and Education
  • CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING
  • LEARNING AND EDUCATION
  • EDUCATION STANDARDS AND TEACHER EDUCATION
  • ASSESSMENT AND TESTING
• How to Reach Us
  • EXECUTIVE OFFICE
  • BOARD ON BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVE, AND SENSORY SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
  • CENTER FOR EDUCATION
  • CENTER FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES
  • COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS