Some people may believe that the title of this blog is an exaggeration. Can a child’s vocabulary at age 2 truly predict the child’s success in kindergarten and later in life? So says author Aaron Loewenberg, a former kindergarten teacher who is now focusing his efforts on education policy and leadership after obtaining a master’s degree, in his recent online article New Research: Two-Year-Old Vocabulary Predicts Kindergarten Success. Importantly, don’t just take his word for it.
Loewenberg cites many studies showing not only that a child’s success in kindergarten is based on the child’s vocabulary, but also the child’s success throughout life. In fact, he states that “children who enter kindergarten with strong early reading and math skills are more likely to attend college, own homes, and have 401(k) savings. They are also more likely to be married and live in higher income neighborhoods once they reach adulthood.”
Links are provided to all the studies that he cites, giving the reader an opportunity to look at the research articles and findings. Of great concern are the findings that children from lower income families suffer the most from the lack of vocabulary skills. Early intervention is the key – with “early” referring to the years before kindergarten. Loewenberg concludes as follows: “If this new study linking the vocabulary of two-year-olds to kindergarten success proves anything, it’s that it’s never too early to start building the vocabulary skills of our youngest learners.” I wholeheartedly agree!
Read the entire article by CLICKICLICKING HEREG HERE.