Sesame Street Early Childhood Education

Why does early childhood education matter?

Service

Capabilities

Background

Kids under the age of 5 learn at astounding rates — forming 700 neural connections per second. And the effect of providing children under the age of 5 with high quality education is overwhelmingly positive. By age 40, adults who attended high-quality preschools were more likely to have graduated high school, held a job, owned a home, and earn a higher income. Children from underprivileged households are even harder hit.

Nearly everyone under a certain age has fond memories of Big Bird, Elmo, and the Cookie Monster. And it turns out that they were not only fun to watch, they actually help young children learn. Children under the age of 5 who watch Sesame Street have a 16% higher GPA in high school, express less aggressive attitudes, and score better on a wide range of achievement measurements.

Infographic titled “Early Childhood Education Matters” illustrates the benefits of early education. Key points: 700+ neural connections form per second before age 5; less than 4% of investment in education is for ages 0-5; $1 invested yields a $17 return; children receiving high-quality early education are more likely to excel and less likely to drop out or need special education; by age 40, they earn more, are more employed, and have fewer legal issues. Piggy bank image emphasizes savings.

The opportunity

We worked with Sesame Street to make the case for investing in early childhood education and to highlight some of the achievements they have already made in this realm. With toys, fur, and colorful paper, we help shed light on the importance of early childhood education to bridge the readiness gap, and ultimately transform society.