Today we’re fact checking and debunking some of the biggest misconceptions and myths about children and early childhood education programs.

Myth #1: The Achievement Gap Isn’t A Real Problem. It’s completely unreasonable to deny the existence of an obvious achievement gap in education and by doing so, it perpetuates the problem and the myth. If you ignore the achievement gap and the causes behind it, you can easily argue against early childhood education. However, it’s undeniable that children who get off to a bad start in school have a hard time making up that lost ground, and even though teachers can make a big difference, it’s impossible for them to control what happens outside of the classroom.

Myth #2: Early Childhood Education Isn’t Effective. Mountains of research says otherwise! Some people point to a study that shows pre-k and head start programs aren’t effective because the benefits largely disappear after third grade. However, that study goes on to recognize that these children who qualify for pre-k and head start are often the same ones who end up in crumbling, poverty-stricken public schools. It’s not head start that is failing these children, it’s our country’s disinvestment in poor communities. This disinvestment determines children’s future educational progress. A strong childhood educational program must be followed up by a strong K-12 system.

Myth #3: It’s Too Expensive. This simply isn’t true. Most early childhood educational programs have tuition levels based on income and are willing to work with you. You simply have to reach out to them for help!