Key Findings
Survey Results

To ensure normal, healthy development, each child must be immersed in a healthy and stimulating environment encouraging literacy. Literacy begins at birth, starting with talking, reading, singing, and playing with a young child. Literacy continues to develop throughout life. However, far too many children begin school unprepared to learn because they do not have the appropriate language and pre-reading skills. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2001), 38%, or 1.4 million, of America's fourth graders cannot read and understand a simple paragraph from an age-appropriate book.

Educators and policymakers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of the first five years of life in the development of children. Before learning to read, children must develop critical pre-reading skills like matching, rhyming, and letter identification. Research has demonstrated that quality early learning programs can have significant and lasting benefits throughout childhood and into adulthood.

Key Findings
As in 2000, survey respondents generally recognized the importance of literacy in early childhood. Nearly 81% believed that children who attend preschool or Head Start are better prepared when they enter first grade, and 73% were in favor of publicly-funded preschool programs for all Ohio children.

Many respondents recognized that early cognitive stimulation was important for child development. Overall, 57% believed that parents should begin reading to their children at birth, although female respondents believed reading should begin earlier than male respondents; 67% of female respondents believed parents should begin reading to their children at birth, compared to just 46% of male respondents. Both male and female respondents, however, were equally likely to agree that teaching children under age 3 colors and shapes helps prepare them to read. Overall, 97% disagreed with the statement, "there is not much you can do to prepare children for school before they are 5 years old."

Despite a strong belief in the need for early childhood activities to stimulate literacy, there was less consensus regarding educational standards for child care professionals; although 59% agreed that professionals providing child care to children ages 3-5 should be required to complete at least two years of college, 35% disagreed with such a requirement.