Cleveland Born to Learn Program Helps Toddlers Develop Cognitive and Behavioral Skills

Evaluation of the Cleveland Eastern Suburban Born to Learn Program

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland conducted a randomized, controlled evaluation of the Cleveland Eastern Suburban Born to Learn™ Program between 1999 and 2005.

Born to Learn is a neuroscience-enhanced home visiting curriculum delivered by parent educators to parents with children from birth to age 3. Researchers compared child and parent outcomes for a group receiving Born to Learn versus a group receiving a basic parent support program; they analyzed results for both the total sample and for families with low socioeconomic status versus middle/high socioeconomic status.

Key Findings

  • 24- and 36-month-old children whose parents received Born to Learn demonstrated higher levels of mastery motivation (attempts to solve a problem or master a skill independently with focus and persistence) and social skills than did those who did not receive the program.
  • Among families with low socioeconomic status, 24-month-old children who received Born to Learn showed significantly higher levels of cognitive development and more adaptive behavior than those who did not.

Funding

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) supported the evaluation with a grant of $671,678.

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