Effects of Center-Based Early Childhood Education Programs on Children’s Language, Literacy, and Math Skills: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This study examines effects of early childhood education (ECE) programs on children’s language, literacy, and math skills using a meta-analytic database that includes information about evaluations conducted between 1960 and 2007 for children between birth and 5 years of age. The study extends upon prior syntheses by examining treatment effects separately on language, literacy, and math outcomes. Findings indicate that ECE attendance has small-to-moderate impacts of between 1/10th to 1/3rd of a standard deviation on children’s language, literacy, and math skills. An additional boost of about 1/2 of a standard deviation is provided by programs that have explicit instructional focus on language, literacy, and math skills relative to “business as usual” ECE. ECE programs confer larger impacts on Black and White children’s language skills. Policy suggestions include the provision of a uniform ECE experience for all children; having a more differentiated instruction in elementary school suitable for children with a varied knowledge base in language, literacy and math skills; and providing teachers with curricula focused on the development of language, literacy, and math skills.