Most parents assume kindergarten is where children learn the alphabet, begin reading simple books, and start understanding basic math concepts. Those milestones certainly matter. But research suggests that some of the most important lessons children learn during their earliest school years have very little to do with academics.

In fact, researchers studying children over decades discovered something remarkable. Students who had more experienced kindergarten teachers were more likely to attend college and earn higher incomes as adults. Even more surprising, the long-term impact was not driven primarily by reading or math performance. Findings from the landmark Project STAR study suggest that the benefits of a high-quality kindergarten classroom may be tied to social, emotional, and behavioral skills that continue influencing children long after they leave school.

The strongest early childhood educators are not simply teaching children what to learn. They are helping children learn how to learn, how to work with others, how to manage frustration, and how to stay engaged when something feels difficult. Those skills may not show up on a spelling test, but they often have a lasting impact on a child’s future.

Experienced Teachers Build Skills That Last Beyond Childhood

Most people assume the primary job of an early childhood educator is to teach academic concepts. Children need opportunities to build language skills, develop early literacy, explore STEAM concepts, and strengthen foundational math skills. Those are important parts of a child’s early education. But experienced educators understand something equally important: young children are also learning habits and behaviors that will influence how they approach learning for years to come.

Research from Project STAR found that students assigned to higher-quality kindergarten classrooms experienced benefits that extended into adulthood, including higher rates of college attendance and increased earnings. Perhaps most interesting, researchers found that students who had more experienced kindergarten teachers earned more as adults. The long-term benefits were not explained solely by higher test scores. Instead, strong teachers appeared to help children develop characteristics that contributed to future success.

Every day, experienced teachers help children learn persistence when tasks become difficult, cooperation when working with classmates, and emotional regulation when frustrations arise. They model responsibility, empathy, patience, and problem-solving through hundreds of small interactions. These lessons rarely appear on report cards, yet they often become the foundation for how children approach challenges, relationships, and opportunities throughout life.

Character Skills Create a Foundation for Future Success

Researchers involved with Project STAR observed something fascinating. While some academic gains measured by standardized tests appeared to diminish over time, the influence of strong early childhood classrooms remained visible years later. Researchers pointed to what are often described as non-cognitive skills, including self-discipline, perseverance, responsibility, and the ability to work well with others.

These skills shape how children respond to everyday situations. A child uses persistence when working through a difficult puzzle. They rely on self-control when waiting their turn during a classroom activity. They draw upon emotional regulation after a disagreement with a friend. They use cooperation while completing a group project. Although these moments seem small at the time, they are helping children practice behaviors that will support them throughout school and adulthood.

Long before children apply for college or interview for their first job, they are developing habits that influence how they respond to setbacks, solve problems, and interact with others. Experienced early childhood educators intentionally create opportunities for children to practice these skills through guided play, collaborative activities, classroom routines, and encouraging relationships.

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High-Quality Early Childhood Education Develops the Whole Child

This is one reason Collaborative for Children advocates for high-quality early childhood education that goes beyond simple supervision. A quality learning environment is a place where children actively build academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills through meaningful experiences and intentional teaching.

Our Centers of Excellence focus on developing the whole child. That includes language and literacy development, STEAM exploration, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, self-regulation, social-emotional growth, and kindergarten readiness. These skills are developed through hands-on, play-based experiences that encourage curiosity, independence, and collaboration.

When a child works with classmates to build a bridge during a STEAM activity, they are learning much more than engineering concepts. When they continue working through a challenge rather than giving up, they strengthen resilience. When they share materials, listen to different ideas, and resolve conflicts, they develop social competence. These moments may look like play, but they are helping children acquire the skills that research suggests contribute to long-term success.

Relationships Help Children Learn How to Grow

The best early childhood educators understand that children learn through relationships. Young learners thrive when they feel safe, supported, respected, and understood. A skilled teacher recognizes teachable moments throughout the day and understands that some of the most important lessons happen outside traditional instruction.

A disagreement over blocks can become a lesson in problem-solving. Cleaning up after an activity can become a lesson in responsibility. Waiting patiently for a turn can become a lesson in self-control and respect for others. Over time, these seemingly ordinary moments help children develop a stronger sense of confidence, accountability, and belonging.

Research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child emphasizes the importance of responsive relationships with caring adults in supporting healthy brain development. Those interactions help children develop the social and emotional foundations that support future learning, behavior, and well-being.

Helping Your Child Start Kindergarten with Confidence

Why Teacher Development Matters for Children

If teachers have such a lasting impact on children’s lives, supporting their professional growth becomes essential. That belief is at the heart of our work throughout Greater Houston. Collaborative for Children invests in strengthening the quality of early childhood education through coaching, professional development, curriculum resources, and continuous improvement opportunities for teachers and child care providers.

The results reinforce why teacher quality matters. According to Collaborative for Children’s Centers of Excellence outcomes, 89% of participating teachers improved their command of early education competencies. At the same time, 97% of children enrolled in Centers of Excellence demonstrated positive gains in at least one school-readiness skill. Children ages 4 and 5 preparing to enter kindergarten tripled their command of Collaborative for Children’s essential kindergarten-readiness skills, while 85% performed in the top tiers of social-emotional school readiness assessments.

These outcomes align with what decades of research have demonstrated. When educators receive the training, resources, and support they need to excel, children benefit. Investments in teacher quality today can influence children’s experiences tomorrow and, in many cases, outcomes that extend far into the future.

Why Early Childhood Education Matters in Houston

The importance of quality early education is especially significant in Greater Houston. Only about half of children begin kindergarten ready to learn, and only about one-third of Houston-area third graders pass literacy assessments. These challenges do not suddenly emerge in elementary school. Their roots often begin much earlier.

That is why Collaborative for Children works with 125 Centers of Excellence throughout the region. By helping educators strengthen teaching practices and supporting providers in delivering exceptional early learning experiences, we are helping more children build the academic, social, and emotional foundations they need before they ever enter kindergarten.

The goal is not simply school readiness. It is preparing children with the confidence, resilience, curiosity, and character they will need throughout life.

• What Neurodiversity Affirming Early Childhood Education Looks Like in Practice

A Collaborative for Children Perspective

Many people think success begins in high school. Others believe it begins in middle school or elementary school.

Research suggests it begins much earlier.

Long before a child takes a college entrance exam or applies for their first job, they are developing habits, attitudes, and skills that influence their future. They are learning how to handle challenges, work with others, stay focused, manage emotions, and keep trying when something feels difficult.

Those lessons often start with a caring, skilled early childhood teacher.

That is why investing in high-quality early childhood education matters. It is also why Collaborative for Children remains committed to ensuring children across Greater Houston have access to learning environments where those life-changing lessons can take root.

The influence of a great teacher may begin in preschool or kindergarten. The impact can last a lifetime.

• Helping Children Express Emotions in Healthy Ways Starts Early

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a kindergarten teacher really influence a child’s future success?

Yes. Research from Project STAR found that students who had more experienced kindergarten teachers were more likely to attend college and had higher earnings as adults. The study also found measurable long-term effects from higher-quality classroom environments.

What skills do quality early childhood teachers help children develop?

Quality early childhood teachers help children develop both academic and social-emotional skills, including self-control, persistence, responsibility, cooperation, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. These abilities contribute to school readiness and long-term success.

Why are social-emotional skills important before kindergarten?

Social-emotional skills help children manage emotions, work with peers, follow directions, solve problems, and persist through challenges. These skills support learning and are considered critical components of kindergarten readiness.

Your Child’s First Teacher May Shape More Than Their First Day of School