Birth to 99

The point in chapter 3 of Teaching with Poverty in Mind that struck a chord with me was the admission that kids who were given high-quality early intervention services from birth up until the age of 5 showed stronger skills than a control group at the age of 21 (p. 59-60).

These kids:
-Earned higher cognitive test scores through age 21.
-Demonstrated enhanced language skills.
-Earned consistently higher reading achievement scores.
-Demonstrated moderate effect sizes in mathematics achievement.
-Were more likely to still be in school at age 21 (40 percent versus 20 percent).
-Were more likely to attend a four-year college (35 percent versus 14 percent).
-Were less likely to have experienced trouble with the legal system. (Ramey & Campbell, 1991)

Incredible! This shows me that in Rugby we are on the right path in terms of having a preschool program in place, but what else can we do before kids turn 3 or 4? Are there programs in place in our community for this population of children? I know we have the Imagination Library program, through which children receive a book in the mail each month until they turn 5, so long as new parents know about it and sign up for it. Unfortunately, aside from the Imagination Library, I am not very familiar with the birth to three scope of enrichment services available in Rugby for children who do not have some type of disability. I suppose the main weight of the task of preparing kids for the future falls to daycare providers to offer age-appropriate activities and social-emotional support.

With my limited ability to have an impact on kids before they turn three, it was a relief to read, on page 49, that children who demonstrated IQs below 86 (average=77) increased their IQ scores to an average of 91 eight years after being adopted by middle-SES or high-SES parents. These children were adopted between the ages of 4 and 6, at which time many would assume their IQs would not change much. Although, as educators, of course we are not able to adopt our low-SES students, we can try to offer them the same compassion, assistance, and enrichment that we would offer our own children. Just knowing that such a positive change is possible makes such a difference in the way instruction is given. The worst thing that could happen to a student is for his teacher to 'give up on him'. If even his teacher doesn't think he can improve, how can he?