TitlePromoting Child Development in a Universal Preschool System: A Field Experiment
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsRege, M, Størksen, I, Solli, IF, Kalil, A, McClelland, MM, Braak, Dten, Lenes, R, Lunde, S, Breive, S, Carlsen, M, Erfjord, I, Hundeland, PS
JournalSSRN Electronic Journal
Date Published01/2019
Abstract

This study tests an intervention that introduces a structured curriculum for five-year olds into the universal preschool context of Norway. We conduct a field experiment with 691 five-year-olds in 71 preschools and measure treatment impacts on children's development in mathematics, language and executive functioning. Compared to business as usual, the nine-month curriculum intervention has effects on child development at post-intervention and the effects persist one year following the end of the treatment. The effects are entirely driven by the preschool centers identified as low-quality at baseline, suggesting that a structured curriculum can reduce inequality in early childhood learning environments

DOI10.2139/ssrn.3434830
Short TitleSSRN Journal