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.

Resources

Here are a few of our resources on early childhood development and learning. To see more, visit our Resources section.

Reports

To better understand the implementation of prekindergarten legislation (Act 166) in Vermont, this study describes the relationship between the characteristics and location of prekindergarten childr

Reports

In this summary report, the authors share findings and recommendations from their review of existing research, exploration of teacher professional development programs, and interviews with teachers.

Reports

This monograph examines educational technology initiatives in Lebanon, Jordan, the United Kingdom, and the United States over the past decade and draws lessons that can help nations moving forward with their own national educational technology initiatives. 

Toolkits

This guide provides an overview of IRI as a methodology, and discusses its feasibility and applicability in a range of contexts.

Toolkits

This checklist provides early childhood educators with practical information about integrating educational technology in their classrooms.

Resource libraries

Through the Home Visiting Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (HV CoIIN), EDC guides Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program awardees in using continuous quality im

Reports

This final report summarizes the evaluation of the impact of EDC’s Early Childhood Caregiver Professional Development and Certification Program in Rwanda.

Reports

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.

White papers

This paper describes the work of the Home Visiting Collaborative for Improvement and Innovation Network (HV CoIIN).

Websites

EDC led the development of this comprehensive toolbox during its leadership of the Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC). The toolbox offers a wide array of interactive planning tools, guides, videos, and other resources to support IECMHC efforts in states, tribes, and communities.