Success By 6

Success By 6 is committed to ensuring a foundation of success for young children.  Early childhood education is recognized by social scientists as critical to economic independence.  Helping the next generation break the cycle of poverty begins by giving children a better start in life.

WHY IT MATTERS
• Investments in preschool programs return up to $17 on every $1 invested.
• Early childhood learning is more effective at getting students to college than tuition policy and credit help combined.
• Job costs decrease with increased investment in early childhood education and development.
• 40% of kindergartners are coming to school at risk for failure.
• Adults who were born in poverty who participated in high-quality, active learning preschool programs at ages 3 and 4 had half as many criminal arrests, higher earnings and property wealth, and greater commitment to marriage.
• The brains of children who lack a stimulating environment and who don't play much or are rarely touched are 20-30% smaller than normal for their age.
• The human brain grows to approximately 85% of its adult size by age 2 ½. 90% of the brain's growth occurs from 0 to 5 years old.
• Holding and stroking a child stimulates the brain to release important hormones necessary for growth.
• The typical middle-class child is read to 1,000 to 1,700 hours before entering 1st grade, whereas a child from a low-income family is read to an average of just 25 hours.
• Young children whose parents respond to them verbally at a high rate develop greater vocabularies. These differences tend to persist over time, impacting school readiness and success