Effects of Early Childhood Interventions on Learning Trajectories in Mathematics and German during Compulsory Schooling

We examine the effects of early childhood education and care on learning trajectories across compulsory school, differentiating between duration and intensity. The data are based on the Zurich Learning Progress Study and comprise a sample of N = 1681 students. We use a propensity score procedure for evaluating the effects. We find close to significant differences in learning progress, especially in German and in part also in mathematics, whereby early but not intensive childcare turns out most advantageous.