One of Hillary Clinton’s big focuses when it comes to education is supporting early education so that all early learners can best be prepared when entering school despite background and familial status.

A recent visit by the presidential hopeful to a small coffee shop in Virginia revealed how this has been one of Clinton’s priorities since she was First Lady of Arkansas in 1985.

During this time, Clinton helped bring the program Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters to 21 states. Known as HIPPY, the program has been found to have significant results in preparing young learners for school.

"In HIPPY, as it's called, parents receive free books, educational materials and weekly home visits to coach them on how to get their young children ready for school — for example, by reading to them daily,” NPR said.

When Clinton first heard of the program, she knew it would be a way to help low-educated parents break the cycle for their children.

NPR says since helping it expand into 21 states and be incredibly successful in Arkansas, research has concluded that HIPPY works.

"Decades of independent research, including randomized controlled trials, shows that children ages 3, 4 and 5 who participate in HIPPY are more prepared for school. Studies in four states found that higher reading, math and social studies scores persisted into third, fifth and sixth grades.”

In addition, NPR says research has found that the program also reduces "the impact on school performance of factors like being an English-language learner.”

While the program is not for everyone as the home-visits require that parents have the time and an unwavering commitment to their child’s success, it does serve as an example of how Clinton has been committed to early education throughout her political career.

Read the full story.

Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

5/11/2016