Preschool learning makes children happier as adults

What the research found

The Abecedarian Project was a randomised trial of early childhood education for children from low-income families. It began with 111 infants, and 101 took part in the age 30 follow-up. Those who got the program had more years of education. Income and criminal involvement did not differ significantly. The researchers found little evidence of benefits for social adjustment (2012).

The Chicago Longitudinal Study followed 989 low-income, minority children who attended Child-Parent Center preschools from 1983 to 1985. It looked at health and well-being at age 35. Children in classrooms with both high teacher-directed and high child-initiated learning had higher odds of a livable wage (OR 2.02) and lower odds of felony arrest (OR 0.39) (2021). The results reported there were about wages and arrests, not happiness.

A 2017 meta-analysis of 82 school-based social and emotional learning programs, covering kindergarten to high school, found people did better than controls on indicators of well-being at follow-up, between 6 months and 18 years later. These programs targeted social and emotional skills, not preschool learning in general, and the average age was about 11.

What it doesn’t mean

• This does not mean preschool is a waste of time. The research shows educational gains, but happiness in adulthood has not been directly shown to follow from preschool learning.
• The long-term studies followed children from low-income families, and the Abecedarian trial was small. The results may not carry over to every child.
• If you are worried about your child's development, mood or behaviour, talk to your GP or child health nurse.