By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer
29 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Children who got quality child care before entering
kindergarten had better vocabulary scores in the fifth grade than
did youngsters who received lower quality care.
Also, the more time that children spent in child care, the more
likely their sixth grade teachers were to report problem
behavior.
The findings come from the largest study of child care and
development conducted in the United States. The 1,364 children in
the analysis had been tracked since birth as part of a study by the
National Institutes of Health.
In the study's latest installment, being released Monday,
researchers evaluated whether characteristics observed between
kindergarten and third grade were still present in fifth grade or
sixth grade. The researchers found that the vocabulary and behavior
patterns did continue, though many other characteristics did
dissipate.
The researchers said the increase in vocabulary and problem
behaviors was small, and that parenting quality was a much more
important predictor of child development.
In the study, child care was defined as care by anyone other than
the child's mother who was regularly scheduled for at least 10
hours per week.
The researchers said the enduring effect of child care quality is
consistent with other evidence showing that children's early
experiences matter to their language development.
The long-term effect on behavior also may have a logical
explanation, the researchers said.
"One possible reason why relations between center care and problem
behavior may endure is that primary school teachers lack the
training as well as the time to address behavior problems, given
their primary focus on academics," the researchers said.
The study appears in the current issue of Child Development. The
authors emphasized that the children's behavior was within a normal
range and that it would be impossible to go into a classroom, and
with no additional information, pick out those who had been in
child care.
