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What the research tells us about early learning

The early years are a critical time for children's learning and development. New research from the OECD's Building Strong Foundations for Life report highlights the important role that high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) can play in helping children build the skills they need for school and beyond.

--> Starting early can make a difference

Across the eight countries studied, the research found that children who began attending ECEC earlier generally had stronger learning outcomes at age 5 than those who started later. For example, in countries where most children begin early learning before age 4, children who started as babies or toddlers often performed better in key developmental areas than those who first enrolled at ages 2 or 3.

--> Consistent participation supports learning

Longer participation in early learning was also found to be associated with stronger outcomes, particularly in the foundational areas of early literacy and numeracy. These are the essential building blocks that help children develop reading, writing and maths skills as they move into school.

While the relationship between time spent in early learning and other areas of development - such as social and emotional skills and executive functioning - was less pronounced, the overall findings suggest that regular participation in high-quality early learning provides children with valuable opportunities to learn and grow.

--> Quality and access matter

The report also found that children experiencing socio-economic disadvantage had attended early learning for around 5 months less, on average, than their more advantaged peers before starting school.

Because children from all backgrounds can benefit from participating in high-quality early learning, improving access for families experiencing disadvantage is an important way to give more children the opportunity to build strong foundations for learning and development.

--> Early support helps children thrive

Around 1 in 10 children in the study were reported by their parents to have experienced early learning, social, emotional or behavioural difficulties before age five. Encouragingly, around 1 in 6 children received targeted learning support through their early learning service.

Children with greater developmental or learning needs were more likely to receive additional support, highlighting the important role early childhood education can play in identifying children's needs early and connecting families with the right supports.

The key takeaway: The OECD's findings reinforce what decades of research has shown: high-quality early childhood education and care provides children with a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Starting early, attending consistently and ensuring every child has access to quality early learning can help children develop the literacy, numeracy and broader skills they need to thrive at school and throughout life.

Read the full report here