Kindergarten Experiences Can Shape Poor Children’s Civic Engagement Later in Life
Among young children in poverty, experiences and skills learned in kindergarten – such as classroom-based play and short-term memory – can lead to greater participation in extracurricular activities when they grow older, according to a new study from New York University researchers. The study suggests that the gap in civic engagement between low-income and high-income Americans may be due to different experiences in early education. The researchers argue that schools and communities should do more to ensure children in poverty develop long-term social skills.