Children need 'combination' of early learning experiences

While it has always been accepted that a good home-learning environment and a good pre-school are important for a child's development, a new study has shed light on the extent and enduring benefits arising from the education a child received in the early years.

The study has also distributed the weight squarely on all three early education providers: pre-school, primary school, and home education, and has described them as "the powerful combination" in improving children's learning.

The findings were the result of the latest Effective Pre-school and Primary Education Project (EPPE 3-11), which is based at the Institute of Education, a college of the University of London. The study tracked around 2,800 students aged three to 11, over the past 10 years.

"A mother's highest qualification level and early years home learning environment are still among the strongest predictors of better academic and social-behavioural outcomes at age 10 and 11, in line with findings at younger ages."

Thus, the findings show that while early education is beneficial to all children, "high quality" pre-school education is especially important for children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, including children whose mothers have low qualifications, or come from unstimulating homes. Such children are given a particular boost by primary schools high in academic effectiveness.

Yet, pre-school alone is not enough to make the required difference. It needs to be coupled with academically effective primary schools and a stimulating home-learning environment.

In fact, some of the findings indicate that children who attend a more academically effective primary school show better attainment and progress when they are aged seven to 11 than children with similar characteristics who attend a less effective school.

"If a child experiences no, or poor quality, pre-school and then moves to a less academically effective primary school, their prospects of good outcomes are significantly reduced. This is of particular concern for those already experiencing other disadvantages and who are already at higher risk of poor outcomes.

Thus educational influences, and early learning experiences, have the capacity to mitigate or further exacerbate inequalities. It is particularly important therefore to ensure that the most disadvantaged groups have access to high quality educational experiences from pre-school up." Not only has the study confirmed that a good home-learning environment is also linked to long-term gains in children's development, but it has also said that this influence is similar in strength to their mother's qualification level.

"The case study findings on individual pupils who 'succeeded against the odds' showed that what they had in common was a high early years home-learning environment. Interviews with parents and pupils to explore what might account for a pupil's success revealed: a) a range of family members provided support for the pupil's learning, b) pupils themselves were active in maintaining these practices and c) education was valued highly by the family as a means of improving life chances."

Professor Pam Sammons, one of the principal investigators of the project, said that the research confirmed the importance of early experiences and the "powerful combination" of home, pre-school and primary school in improving children's learning.

The results indicate that the combination of different influences at home and in education (of a high early years home-learning environment along with a higher quality, more effective pre-school and a more academically effective primary school) can give a significant boost to children's outcomes at age 11 years."