The Early Years Matter

This accessible and engaging work introduces current and future teachers, child care providers, and others interested in early childhood education to the importance of the early years in children’s well-being and success. It summarizes the research on the value of high-quality services for young children, families, and society, showing why early education matters both today and into the future. Emphasizing the need to understand and respect young children’s strengths and unique characteristics, the authors offer inspiration for working in the field, as well as addressing the realistic challenges of implementing developmentally appropriate care and education.

Each chapter begins with an introductory vignette focused on one child whose experiences are typical of other children in the same age group or life circumstances, using that child’s experiences to draw out what the best research tells us about why early care and education matters for that group of children. The book also features first-person narratives by early childhood professionals working in a range of positions who offer insight into the complexity and joys of working with or on behalf of young children. Suggestions for further reading and concluding questions for reflection, dialogue, and action make The Early Years Matter a perfect resource for courses and professional development.

Marilou Hyson is a national and international consultant and author of Enthusiastic and Engaged Learners and The Emotional Development of Young Children, Second Edition. Heather Biggar Tomlinson is a child development consultant working with The World Bank in Jakarta, Indonesia, and author of numerous articles and book chapters

“Provides a clear understanding of the myriad of ways in which high-quality early childhood education programs matter in the early years, and they matter a lot.”
—From the Foreword by Jacqueline Jones, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning, U.S. Department of Education

“This book does a remarkable job of inviting future and current practitioners further into the world of the early childhood profession. It provides clear, interesting, and succinct overviews of issues critical for those working in early childhood to understand, weaving in the most recent developments in research, policy, and practice in accessible ways. Each section of the book also literally puts a face on a selected issue, inviting readers to meet a child and family experiencing the issue as well as colleagues focusing on it in their work. The book is engaging—both a pleasure to read and effective in welcoming readers to take part in work of great significance.”
—Martha Zaslow, director, SRCD Office for Policy and Communications

“The Early Years Matter is both informative and inspirational and will undoubtedly be an essential resource for both seasoned early childhood professionals as well as those new to the field. Hyson and Tomlinson weave together a unique blend of research, case descriptions, and first-person narratives to illuminate the importance of young children and their families receiving high quality early childhood services. The result is a book that is grounded in reality and accessible. I love the way it’s laid out and anticipate it becoming a go-to reference on my bookshelf.”
—Jana Fleming, director, Herr Research Center for Children and Social Policy , Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL

“This wonderful volume provides a rich, comprehensive overview of the field of early childhood care and education. With detailed case studies as well as a rigorous yet eminently readable synthesis of the most recent research in the field, it will be an extraordinary resource for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars in early childhood development, both in the U.S. and around the world.”
—Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education and University Professor, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University

“One small volume—a lot that matters! Through insightful stories, facts, figures, and reflections the authors capture the essence of why the early years are so important to the children who live them and to the adults entrusted with children’s care and learning. Starting with a mountain of cutting edge material, Hyson and Tomlinson have made excellent choices about what information to highlight and how. As a result, The Early Years Matter is compelling reading for newcomers to the field, as well as for seasoned professionals. It is a book that everyone who cares about future generations should read, think about, and then read again.”
—Marjorie Kostelnik, Dean, College of Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln