If you have a kid who goes to kindergarten and doesn't know what a circle is, doesn't know what red and green are, and doesn't know what right and left are, by the time he learns those things, the rest of the class is far ahead of him.
Having a larger vocabulary the day you walk into kindergarten is advantageous.
Head Start is designed to ensure that all children - regardless of their family's income, race, or ethnic background - are able to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
When 'Desperate Housewives' ends, I think my girls will be about the kindergarten age. I will be so happy to be there for them through that huge transition.
In 2009, I pushed for the creation and funding of early childhood block grants to ensure that more kids enter kindergarten ready to learn. It's really not rocket science: Put kids on the right path at an early age - and keep them there.
Experts tell us that 90% of all brain development occurs by the age of five. If we don't begin thinking about education in the early years, our children are at risk of falling behind by the time they start Kindergarten.
Children without access to quality early education programs start kindergarten with an 18-month disadvantage, and that gap continues to widen. By the time they are in fourth grade, many cannot do math or read at grade level.
Early care and education helps children build the skills they need for success in kindergarten and can help close the achievement gap.
I think we hear a lot of talk about college, and we don't hear about early education.
