Craig Ramey and Sharon Landesman Ramey, Directors of the UAB Civitan International Research Center, was published recently in the Birmingham News. Education is our country's most pressing concern. The public and politicians agree that well educated citizens are essential to a safe, caring, and economically prosperous democracy. Our country's riches are not reflected only by economic indicators. Our wealth also includes a vast reservoir of information about what young children need in order to become healthy, happy, responsible, and intelligent citizens.
Parents are undeniably children's first and foremost teachers.
Later, schoolteachers assume an important role. A real scenario from today's kindergarten classrooms illustrates how much early learning experiences matter. In a single classroom, children vary widely in their entry-level abilities. To date, the evidence shows that even excellent schools cannot entirely compensate for the negative toll caused by 5 years of inadequate learning. A recent 10-site study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development affirms the value that positive preschool experiences can have.