Once again, a national report showed that Louisiana's children are among the poorest and most at risk of failure in this country.
Research shows that preschool and other programs that reach children at an early age are the answer.
It's time we acted on the research and thought out of the traditional education box. They also earn more as adults. A recent University of Alabama study exposed a group of poor inner-city children to a daily environment of learning, toys, playmates, and good nutrition. The study also found a lower rate of mental retardation and developmental difficulties in the enriched group. Breakthrough studies of the brain using new imaging technologies show that children are born with most of the brain cells needed for a lifetime of learning, but those cells aren't connected.