Information The Importance of the First Five Years

All parents strive to raise happy, healthy and productive children, but new research is changing what we consider to be the skills necessary for success in the 21st century. Paul Tough’s How Children Succeed offers an insightful overview of an evolving educational paradigm shift. Instead of the more purely cognitive focus of decades past, parents, caregivers and early educators dedicated to raising children for success are now focusing on character traits, such as grit, perseverance and leadership skills; all of which can be fostered in early childhood, and are proving to be better predictors for success than IQ scores or standardized tests.

Parents, caregivers and early educators all play pivotal roles in the first five years of a child’s life.

Understanding the rapid development that takes place during this critical stage of life and fostering these connections and skills will help shape the next generation of leaders.