AQMeN - Applied Quantitative Methods Network

Kathy Sylva, Professor of Educational Psychology at Oxford University

Room G43, Paterson's Land
Moray House School of Education
Holyrood Road, Edinburgh

The contribution of the home and the pre-school to children's coginitive development has been researched for decades.  Many stidies have shown that high quality early education and care provide young children with a stronger pre-academic 'profile' upon entry to school and these benefits remain over the Primary school years.  Very few studies however, have explored whether learning experiences during the pre-school period result in differential rates of growth in academic skills during primary school.

This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study on a representative sample of 2,800 children in the UK.  Using an 'educational effectiveness' design, the study examined the 'value added' by the Early Years Home Learning Environment and pre-school qulaity (as measured by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Curricular Extension) to children's academic progress between ages 7 and 11 (i.e. Years 2 and 6 of Primary School) in English and Mathematics.  Results indicate that children who enjoyed a rich Home Learning Environment made accelarated progress in both subjects over the 4-year period compared to those who had fewer home learning opportunities.  Also, pre-school attendance alone was not sufficient for becoming a better learner; they key to accelaration was the quality of the pre-school environment.  In short, children who arrived at school with a stronger 'profile' at school entry not only maintained their lead in academic achievement compared at their peers, they also made greater progress over the Primary period.  The benefits of high quality home and pre-school environments are long-lasting and cumulative, fundamentally changing children's development trajectories by enabling them to be better learners.

If you are interested in attending please contact c.iannelli@ed.ac.uk