Impact of Elementary Education on Young Minds
Elementary school is the foundation for a student’s entire academic journey. While it’s widely accepted that early education is essential, research underscores just how academically and developmentally influential these years are.
According to education experts, kindergarten through second-grade students experience the highest average learning gains of their entire academic careers. One key milestone — reading proficiency by fourth grade — can even predict long-term outcomes. Students who fall behind at this stage are at significantly higher risk of struggling academically and not graduating from high school.
Given the lasting impact of these years, earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education prepares teachers to make a meaningful difference. These programs prepare educators to become both classroom leaders and collaborative mentors, equipped with strategies to meet the unique challenges of early learning environments and make the most of the impact of elementary education on students’ futures.
The Central Role of Reading in Elementary Education
While all subject areas matter, reading is the core of elementary education. Teaching reading is “the most fundamental responsibility of schools,” according to the American Federation of Teachers, because reading affects all other academic areas and is associated with social, emotional, economic, and physical health.
Proficiency in reading enables students to access and engage with other subjects. Yet learning to read is not a simple task. It involves complex cognitive tasks, including decoding unfamiliar words, interpreting context, making predictions, and asking questions.
Elementary educators frequently manage classrooms with a wide range of reading abilities. Effective teachers in this field must know how to help students tackle complex texts, synthesize diverse information, and use reading as a gateway to deeper learning.
The Impact of Elementary Education on Future Academic Success
The foundational skills acquired during elementary school are critical determinants of a student’s long-term academic trajectory. Research consistently demonstrates that early competencies in mathematics and literacy are strong predictors of later educational outcomes.
For example, a comprehensive analysis of six longitudinal datasets revealed that math skills learned in kindergarten predict math and reading skills in the fifth grade. This underscores the importance of fostering numerical understanding during the early years of schooling.
Similarly, early literacy development plays a pivotal role. A study of students in Norway, Turkey, and South Africa found that students who did well in reading and numeracy skills at an early age did well in math and science by the fifth grade.
Research from the American Psychological Association found that children’s early academic and attention skills are strong indicators of later academic performance, “even if they have various social and emotional problems.”
Mary Baldwin University’s Bachelor’s in Elementary Education
Mary Baldwin University offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program that prepares students for licensure as K–6 educators in Virginia*. The program combines flexible online coursework with practical classroom experiences, emphasizing inquiry-based and student-centered teaching methods. It is one of many high-quality online degree programs offered by MBU.
Students in the BA in Elementary Education program can earn a Special Education General Curriculum endorsement for grades K–6, enhancing their qualifications and broadening their teaching capabilities.
The curriculum focuses on developing effective teaching strategies for diverse learners, creating inclusive classroom environments, and mastering core subjects such as mathematics, science, reading, and social studies. Graduates are equipped for careers as elementary school teachers, special education teachers (with endorsement), educational program coordinators, or youth program leaders.
Learn more about Mary Baldwin’s online Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education.
* Students in this program don’t need to be Virginia residents to seek licensure — they can complete practicums in any accredited school. However, all activities, competencies, and Standards of Learning that are addressed in each experience must apply to Commonwealth of Virginia guidelines.