This was posted on October 20, 2011
Mrs. Wells recently wrote convincingly about why the early years of a child’s education matter. Too often, parents assume that kids will be “just fine,” in an adequate elementary/middle education, assuming that the part of their education that really matters, the stuff that’s really worth it, comes later, in college.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
The early years are when critical pathways form in the brain — permanent structural changes that influence the rest of students’ lives. A recent British study showed that over four years, adolescent IQs fluctuated wildly. Some adolescents saw — literally — a 20-point gain in IQ. Others fell by almost as much — and these changes weren’t random, or a fluke.
Seriously. Listen to today’s story on NPR. From the story comes the kicker:
“Lots of prior research has found that educational environment is key…rigorous academic curricula lead to improved IQ scores.”
That’s about as plain as it gets: the early years matter. They matter immensely.
