Study shows kindergarten learning affects adult success
New research from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Social and Economic Sciences finds that children who learn more in kindergarten go on to earn more as adults and are more successful overall.
Harvard University economist John Friedman explains in this video the impact of increasing kindergarten teacher experience looks really big for students long-term success. He says the study should highlight for policymakers the importance of kindergarten classes for students in all demographics.
Credit: National Science Foundation
Taking into account all variation across kindergarten classes, including class size, individuals who learn more–as measured by an above-average score on the Stanford Achievement Test–and are in smaller classes earn about $2,000 more per year at age 27.
Moreover, students who learn more in kindergarten are more likely to go to college than students with similar backgrounds. Those who learn more in kindergarten are also less likely to become single parents, more likely to own a home by age 28 and more likely to save for retirement earlier in their work lives.
