Taub Center

Donate

  • About Us
    • Mission, Vision and History
    • Researchers and Staff
    • Board of Directors and General Assembly
    • Policy Program Fellows
    • International Advisory Council
    • Organizational Policies
    • Job Opportunities
  • Research and Publications
    • What research areas interest you?
      • All Research
      • Economics
      • Health
      • Welfare
      • Education
      • Labor Markets
    • What type of content are you looking for?
      • Videos
      • Podcasts
      • Press Releases
    • What topics are trending?
      • #Israel at War
      • #Early Childhood
      • #Environment and Health
      • #Demography
  • Activities and Impact
    • Events
    • Impact
    • Annual Report 2023
  • In the Media
    • Press Releases
    • Articles
    • Videos
  • Our Blog
  • Contact Us
    • General Contact Information
    • Request a Lecture
  • Main Publications
    • State of the Nation Report
    • A Picture of the Nation
Newsletter
  • English
  • עברית

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date
הודעת דוא"ל זו אינה חוקית
Choose
Terms of Use Privacy Policy

Home Page » Researches » Do the different stages of early childhood affect children differently?

Do the different stages of early childhood affect children differently?

Bulletin Article | December 2019

Author

Taub Center Staff

 

babyWhen researchers study inequalities in society and opportunities for social mobility, they often try to determine the sources of these inequalities. Not surprisingly, many look to inequalities in the education system and their lasting effect in adulthood, but new studies show that these gaps find their beginnings earlier in life.

The first years of life are critical in terms of brain development; as the academic literature shows, the brain reaches 85% of its final size by age 3, and 95% of its size by age 5. During this period, all the developmental processes are at their peak: cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social, perceptual, and more. It is a critical period, one in which exposure to a supportive, enriching, and stimulating environment is essential for optimal development.

A recent Taub Center study, published with the generous support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, delves deeper into the influence of environmental factors on early childhood development and children’s future scholastic achievements. The study asks if there is a difference in Israel between infants and toddlers – conception to age 2 – and preschoolers – ages 3-5 – in the effect that poverty has on later academic achievements.

In general, the researchers discovered that certain family characteristics have an impact on students’ achievements across both age groups (birth to age 2 and 3-5). For example, as parents’ level of education rises so do their children’s scholastic achievements. In addition, number of siblings has a negative effect during early childhood – as the number of siblings rises, scholastic achievements drop.

When it comes to poverty, however, there are differences between the two age groups. Poverty during the first two years of a child’s life is strongly and negatively correlated with later academic achievements, while poverty that is experienced by the child at ages 3-5 does not have the same correlation. These findings hold true for all the subjects tested on the 5th grade Meitzav exams – mathematics, Hebrew, English (as a second language), and literacy in science and technology.

Math-ENG-long

 

 

Language-ENG-long

Furthermore, there are significant differences in Bagrut outcomes between students who experience poverty from birth to 2-years-old and those who experience poverty between ages 3 and 5; again, the negative correlation is greater for those who experience poverty during the very first years of life.

These findings are particularly poignant because child poverty in Israel, which stands at about 26%, is nearly the highest among the developed countries (with the exception of Turkey). It seems that such poverty, experienced from birth to two years, is likely to result in a kind of “scar” that remains over time and accompanies the child through adulthood.

To address poverty in early childhood the researchers suggest the possibility of shifting a portion of child allowances towards early childhood, and in this way, offering assistance to young parents.

In view of the high employment rates among mothers with small children, it is also important to increase the quality of educational frameworks for very young children, especially for children up to age two and especially for families who are in financial distress. Because of the critical importance of early childhood development and its many implications, the Taub Center plans to continue researching this topic in the coming years.

 

For more articles like this, sign up for the Taub Center monthly newsletter.

More research on this topic

The Sources of Budget Gaps in the Official Primary Education System

The Sources of Budget Gaps in the Official Primary Education System

A new study by the Taub Center for Social...

Nachum Blass Haim Bleikh
Young Children and Their Parents During the War

Young Children and Their Parents During the War

Events of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war...

Dana Shay Yael Navon Carmel Blank Yossi Shavit
The Education System in Israel 2020–2024: A Conservative System in a Dynamic Reality

The Education System in Israel 2020–2024: A Conservative System in a Dynamic Reality

This chapter examines the state of the education system...

Nachum Blass
The Impact of the Israel-Gaza War on Young Children and Their Parents

The Impact of the Israel-Gaza War on Young Children and Their Parents

This research is currently available in Hebrew only. Taub...

Dana Shay Carmel Blank Yael Navon Yossi Shavit

About  

  • Mission, Vision and History
  • Researchers & Staff
  • Board of Directors and General Assembly
  • Fellows
  • Organizational Policies
  • Job Opportunities

Research

  • State of the Nation Report
  • A Picture of the Nation
  • All Research
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Welfare
  • Labor Markets

Additional content

  • Blog
  • Our Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Infographics
  • Annual Report 2023

Activity and impact

  • Events
  • Impact
  • Press Releases

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Request a Lecture

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date
הודעת דוא"ל זו אינה חוקית
Terms of Use Privacy Policy

anova :web development