How Much is Too Much? The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children's Social and Cognitive Development

28 Pages Posted: 20 Jul 2006 Last revised: 12 Oct 2022

See all articles by Susanna Loeb

Susanna Loeb

Stanford University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Margaret Bridges

University of California, Berkeley

Daphna Bassok

Stanford University

Bruce Fuller

University of California, Berkeley

Russ Rumberger

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: December 2005

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that attending center care is associated with cognitive benefits for young children. However, little is known about the ideal age for children to enter such care or the "right" amount of time, both weekly and yearly, for children to attend center programs. Using national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), this paper asks whether there are optimal levels of center care duration and intensity and whether these levels vary by race or income. We consider pre-reading and math skills as measured by assessments administered at the beginning of kindergarten, as well as teacher-reported social-behavioral measures. We find that on average attending center care is associated with positive gains in pre-reading and math skills, but negative social behavior. Across economic levels, children who start center care between ages two and three see greater gains than those who start centers earlier or later. Further, starting earlier than age 2 is related to more pronounced negative social effects. Results for center intensity vary by income levels and race. For instance, poor and middle-income children see academic gains from attending center intensively (more than 30 hours a week), but wealthier children do not; and while intense center negatively impacts Black and White's social development, it does not have any negative impact for Hispanic children.

Suggested Citation

Loeb, Susanna and Bridges, Margaret and Bassok, Daphna and Fuller, Bruce and Rumberger, Russ, How Much is Too Much? The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children's Social and Cognitive Development (December 2005). NBER Working Paper No. w11812, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=875688

Susanna Loeb (Contact Author)

Stanford University ( email )

School of Education 402P CERAS, 520 Galvez Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
United States
650-725-4262 (Phone)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Margaret Bridges

University of California, Berkeley ( email )

310 Barrows Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States

Daphna Bassok

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Bruce Fuller

University of California, Berkeley ( email )

3527 Tolman
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States
510-643-5362 (Phone)
510-642-0709 (Fax)

Russ Rumberger

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
125
Abstract Views
3,022
Rank
407,300
PlumX Metrics