Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

Abstract

Federal Funding for programs benefitting poverty, mainly children in low-

income areas, began in 1964 through the war on poverty under the Johnson

administration. This eventually led to the development of the head start

program which was a program specifically designed to provide care to

children who would otherwise be without. The benefits of the program were

widely agreed to be a positive thing for America and over the years funding

and application of the program grew. The Abecedarion Project took 111

disadvantaged children and provided them with significant mental

stimulation at infancy and throughout childhood until they were enrolled in

school. They were tested against children who were not involved in the study

to determine if this extra attention at an early age would be significant in

benefitting them in life. The results, though positive, are not incredibly

significant when considering cost-to-profit on an economic level. Regardless

of possible profit, what I consider to be the real benefit of the study was a

significant difference in symptoms of depression and pursuit of higher

education in those treated versus those who werent.

Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

Keywords: Abecedarion, education, mental health, income, employment,

head start

Mental stimulation at an early has been proven to be significantly

beneficial for almost all who are engaged. For many years our country has

been concerned about the well-being and opportunities for success of our

children, specifically children who are in danger of continuing a cycle of

poverty and incarceration. The application of early on efforts to provide

children with helpful schooling and care at an early age is obviously

something everyone can upon, however the cost of a significant enough

level of schooling or stimulation is debatable considering the return benefits.

The value of individual success after adequate schooling at an early age, in

my opinion, outweighs what it would cost and will eventually lead to a more

profitable population overall.

Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

Lyndon B Johnson enacted a war on poverty and gave funds to begin

the head start program in 1965. The program was generated from the

economic opportunities act legislation. The program was aimed to help

disadvantaged children get a head start in life. The concept was unique at its

time and sought to include health, education nutrition social services and

significant parental involvement. After a successful first year, it was

announced that it would become a full year program. By the mid 1970s it

was a nationwide program that served more than 5.3 million children. In

1975 a set of standards was put forward to ensure the program was

consistent throughout the nation. The program is one of the few programs

that receives bi-partisan support. As the years moved forward more funding

and standards were given, and by 1998 it evolved into a full day program

and offered services for special needs, dental care, and had data showing

generous improvements in children participants success in life.

Following this formula of extra care and effort at an early age, a team in

Charlotte began a study targeting very young disadvantaged children, they

selected children they felt would lack advantages other children had.

Children began as soon as six weeks old, the scientists used games to
Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

educate young children and stimulate different parts of the brain. Scientists

needed to understand what was going in the childrens brains, I.Q. tests were

given. At first data for children who were not as stimulated as the ones

actively involved in the program, at first there was no significant difference in

data but by age two children who were actively stimulated began to show

strides of improvement over children who were given no special treatment.

By age three it was determined that involvement before age two was

imperative. Stimulated children were showing better language,

comprehension, and overall I.Q. scores. At age five the children were

released into the school system while still being given I.Q. tests on a

consistent basis. The children involved in the study maintained their

advantage over children not involved all through their lives, leading into

college and their careers later in life. The consensus was that when it comes

to the brain, theres no such thing as too soon for developmental

advantages.

The economic stance for early childhood development seems to be held

largely on the backs of state agencies. The argument for interest and funding

in high quality preschools is that early quality education for preschool aged
Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

children would develop high quality workers later-on in life. This would mean

less adults dependent on government funding and more actively earning

good incomes and improving economic earnings for the state. Studies have

shown that for every one dollar put into early education, theres a two dollar

and seventy-eight cent return for that student if you include savings on anti-

crime, state dependence, and other entitlements that are funded by tax

dollars. The economy is interdependent on individuals participating in the

workforce, a common way to determine the success of ones ability in the

workforce is college education. By having more valued skilled workers in an

area the value of the area improves. While the obtainable data for the

Abecedarion Project is debatable in a significant financial return on

investment, the results are firm, however, in the fact the those who were

involved showed fewer signs of mental health disorders like depression, and

usually pursued higher education. Over time, this positive outcome of the

study should show a strong benefit in state run facilities, and as generations

of children involved in these studies and who experienced the strengths

attributed to their involvement in Abecedarion study or ones like it, will

surely use similar tactics in their children and so forth. Eventually this could
Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

result in a large portion of the population having a higher likelihood of being

healthier and pursuing higher education.

My stance is that regardless of financial return, the positive effects these

programs have on an individual is well worth the cost. The government

should set aside more funding for teachers and schools, specifically to

develop a required preschool grade for all public schools that would be

helpful in the future for children from all social classes. An emphasis on

things a parent can do stimulate their childrens brain at infancy should be

put into place as part of already existing home economic classes that are

taught in most schools. This is a bare minimum effort that could prove to

mold the child-rearing strategies of new parents and develop into a norm for

our country in as short of time as a generation. Improving our Nations

citizens should be a priority and with evidence that this is a real way to do

that, any justification against it seems unethical in nature.

Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

Works Cited

Timothy Bartik, The Economic Case for Preschool Ted Talk (Sep 2012) retrieved from

ted.com on Feb 13, 2017

Frances A. Campbell, Elizabeth P. Pungello, Kirsten Kainz, Margaret Burchinal, Yi Pan,

Barbara H. Wasik, Oscar Barbarin, Joseph J. Sparling, and Craig T. Ramey (Jan 16,

2012) Adult Outcomes as a Function of an Early Childhood Educational Program: An

Abecedarian Project, retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles on Feb 13, 2017

Dyllan Delobel

2/12/17

Ms. Flocken

Abecedarion Project

National head Start Association (Nov 18, 2010) Head Start History, retrieved from

youtube.com, Ridgewood PR on Feb 13, 2017

Dr. Joseph Sparling, Abecedarion Study (Sep 18, 2010) retrieved form youtube.com

David Muchacho, on Feb 12, 2017