Primary Early Care and Education Arrangements and Achievement at Kindergarten Entry

Earlier research finds evidence of positive associations between participation in early care and education (ECE) arrangements and academic skills around the time that children begin kindergarten. Young children experience various types of early care and education environments the year before they enter kindergarten. Some children attend center-based arrangements such as preschools, childcare centers, or Head Start programs. Others are cared for in relatives' or nonrelatives' homes or are normally cared for only by their parents. This report explores relationships between children's primary ECE arrangements the year before kindergarten and their academic skills and learning behaviors at kindergarten entry, after accounting for child and family background characteristics.