Learning & Development
Policy Brief/Analysis
Promoting Children’s Social and Emotional Development Through Preschool Education
Date
March 1, 2005
By Judi Boyd, W. Steven Barnett, Elena Bodrova, Deborah J. Leong, and Deanna Gomby
NIEER Policy Brief (March 2005)
Summary
This policy brief describes the importance of social and emotional development of children, reviews the evidence that high-quality preschool can promote social and emotional development, and describes characteristics of programs most likely to benefit children. Recommendations include establishing standards on the outcomes programs are expected to achieve for social and emotional development and expanding access to high-quality preschool programs.
The Authors
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.