Every day, 31 babies are born in South Dakota. That is an entire classroom of future fourth graders born per day. By fourth grade, only 11 of these kids will read proficiently and be on track for future academic success. The other 20 will struggle to read at grade level and may fall behind in school. How these children spend their early years matters.
Supportive early learning environments help young children develop the social, emotional, and literacy skills they need to succeed in school and life. Children experience rapid brain development when they are young. They learn an entire language and can recognize 10,000 words by age 5. By playing with other children, they learn social and emotional skills. Early learning has more than just short-term benefits though. Research shows that children who attend early education programs are less likely to need special education and more likely to graduate from high school.
This week KIDS COUNT released its 32nd annual data book comparing all 50 states in child well-being. The latest rankings show that South Dakota is 24th in education. Unfortunately, 64 percent of South Dakota fourth graders do not read proficiently. The state has seen modest improvement since 2009, however, too many children still do not read proficiently.
While reading proficiency is important for all children in South Dakota, some children are getting left behind. Children in lower-income families and children of color are less likely to read proficiently. These types of gaps in education point to systemic problems. Parents earning low wages may work long hours to make ends meet, limiting the time they can spend on learning activities with young children. Lower-income families may also struggle to find and pay for quality child care, limiting their children’s access to resources and education during a critical period of development.
A strong early childhood system starts with access to high-quality child care. South Dakota severely lacks enough child care. The state has 29,641 licensed or registered child care slots. That’s only enough for 40 percent of all children under 6. Our economy depends on child care. If parents cannot find a safe and reliable place for their children to grow and learn during the day, they cannot return to work, which hurts families, businesses, and our economy.
Imagine a state where families have access to a variety of child care options to meet their needs and early learning opportunities for their children. Where parents can go back to work and be productive while their kids are taken care of. This is in reach for South Dakota, but state policymakers must invest in quality early childhood education to make that a reality. Our state should prioritize funding to ensure lower-income families can afford high-quality child care and early education. Supporting and promoting Head Start programs for children under 5, particularly for children living in tribal communities, can help expand access to high-quality early learning.
Stronger investments in early childhood mean more South Dakota children will grow up as proficient readers, graduate high school, and get a job that they are good at and pays them well.
Xanna Burg is the KIDS COUNT Coordinator for South Dakota KIDS COUNT, a leading resource for data on child and family well-being in the state.
LINK TO SDPB IN THE MOMENT INTERVIEW WITH XANNA BURG
NOTE: KIDS COUNT portion starts at ~13:00.