EDC supports the development of engaging and safe educational programs for young children.
From birth to age eight, children take the first steps in a lifelong learning journey. EDC speeds them on their way by designing, studying, supporting, and scaling up programs that enhance school readiness and success. We have a special focus on meeting the needs of children from disadvantaged communities and dual language learners, engaging and supporting families, and building the capacity of educators and communities to sustain improvements.
In the United States, we work to create strong, coherent preK-Grade 3 systems and advance knowledge of how to improve early science, mathematics, and literacy learning. Around the world, we implement innovative early childhood programs that build literacy and numeracy skills, excite interest in learning, and help educators, volunteers, and parents enrich early learning.
Read "A Fair Start for Every Child" to learn more about EDC's work to support early childhood learning.
Learn about EDC’s work with Family STEM Communities.
Learn about EDC’s work to strengthen early childhood interventions with Continuous Quality Improvement.
Learn about the work of EDC’s Center for Children and Technology.
Related Content
A New Language for Mathematics
Young children often struggle to write down their mathematical ideas. Could computer programming be an easier language for them?
EDC Talks: Making Time for Family Math
What are some fun, easy activities that families can do to encourage math learning at home? (Hint: You are probably already doing some of them.)
Tapping, Swiping, and Learning Science
Research findings on The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!™ have implications for parents, educators, and educational media developers.
Helping All Children Learn and Thrive
EDC’s David Jacobson discusses his ideas for changing—and improving—early childhood services.
Tools to Support Preschool Learning
New resources support educators on integrating technology and working with emergent bilingual learners.
The Other Side of the Screen
As a researcher, Tiffany Maxon gets to help develop the next generation of children’s television shows.
Projects
Resources
Here are a few of our resources on early childhood development and learning. To see more, visit our Resources section.
This online guide provides Head Start and Early Head Start home visitors with effective strategies to assess, promote, and model good hygiene during regular meetings with families.
The authors share the findings of an EDC study that investigated whether the Child Safety Collaborative Innovation and Improvement Network framework could be applied in the field of injury and violence prevention to reduce fatalities, hospitalizations and emergency department visits among 0–19-year-olds.
Executive Summary of a report that examines The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!™, a PBS KIDS multi-platform media property based on “The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library” book series by Random House and Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
This snapshot presents findings from an EDC study on child care collaboration conducted in Maryland and Vermont.
In this research brief, the authors present findings that highlight the importance of policies, practices, and regulations that state Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administrators use in their efforts to increase the supply and quality of early care and education for children from birth through age three, with an emphasis on children from low-income families. The findings are drawn from qualitative analyses of CCDF state plans and based on an online national survey completed by CCDF administrators.
As part of the 2015–2020 Ready To Learn Initiative, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) devised a new model of community partnerships called Comm
This paper describes the work of the Home Visiting Collaborative for Improvement and Innovation Network (HV CoIIN).
This brief can help you develop a continuous quality improvement (CQI) plan and communicate it to others in your organization. It explains what the plan should cover and includes a sample outline and template for drafting your plan.
This report presents findings from the Prekindergarten Transmedia Mathematics Study.
This report, jointly developed by the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and the BUILD Initiative, shares findings from a think tank and working group in which early childhood lead