by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman

Chicago has become a national proving ground for schooling during the first three years, largely because of advocates such as Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman of the University of Chicago.

Kids’ brains change at a rapid rate between birth and kindergarten and those concerned with development of children in poverty talk about the birth to age 3 period as the most critical.

Heckman says that even starting at 4 or 5 years may be too late, while those who back universal preschool say the evidence for even earlier intervention is not yet solid.

Engaging kids in constant dialogue is primary at the Educare Center on Chicago’s south side. Research has shown that kids from lower income families hear fewer words than those from higher incomes, preparing them for reading and understanding concepts.