Early childhood is a critical period for developing the foundational skills that underpin lifelong learning and well-being. Growing evidence from developmental science and neuroscience is helping re-define the understanding of what counts as foundational skills. Recent findings indicate that they extend beyond emergent literacy, numeracy and motor skills to include executive functions, self-regulation, metacognition, social and emotional skills, all of which are increasingly regarded as core “learning-to-learn” capacities. These transversal skills shape how children engage with learning, manage emotions, and interact with others, and are strongly associated with later academic achievement, health, and social outcomes. Because they are highly malleable in early childhood, they also represent an important lever for promoting equity. This policy paper synthesizes insights from an expert workshop organized by the OECD and the Ministry of Education of Luxembourg bringing together researchers and policymakers to examine how these skills develop, how they can be measured, and how early childhood education and care systems can support them. The paper includes examples from various countries illustrating their efforts to foster these skills from the early years.
Supporting children’s foundational skills for a strong start to school
From evidence to policies
