In recent decades, studies have shown that early childhood education is critical in preparing children to enter and succeed in the (grade school) classroom, diminishing their risk of social-emotional mental health problems and increasing their self-sufficiency as adults.
In other words, the child needs to be taught to rationalize everything and to be open to interpretations and critical thinking. There is no subject to be considered taboo, starting with the most basic knowledge of the world he lives in, and ending with deeper areas, such as morality, religion and science. Visual stimulus and response time as early as 3 months can be an indicator of verbal and performance IQ at age 4 years.
By providing education in a child’s most formative years, Hope of Africa also has the capacity to pre-emptively begin closing the educational achievement gap between low and high-income students before formal schooling begins. Early Childhood Education, has been proven to increase high school graduation rates, improve performance on standardized tests, and reduce both grade repetition and the number of children placed in special education.
Several studies have reported that children enrolled in Early Childhood Education increase their IQ scores by 4-11 points by age five. In addition, students scored significantly higher on reading and math tests by age fifteen than comparable students who had not participated in early childhood programs.
Beyond benefitting societal good, Early Childhood Education also significantly impacts the socioeconomic outcomes of individuals. For example, by age 26, students who had been enrolled in Child-Parent Centers were less likely to be arrested or abuse drugs and were more likely to have high school diplomas, health insurance and full-time employment.
At Hope of Africa, our goal is to provide the best possible education for your child, helping him/her to one day thrive in primary and high school, helping them to achieve more and giving them an equal opportunity to become who they want, but most importantly, who they deserve to be.