---
title: IY Trainer Response to NYT Article | The IY® Blog
description: Peter Loft, IY Certified Trainer, provides response to an article published in the New York Times discussing importance of early childhood education.
---

## Incredible Years Blog

Check out our blog for social-emotional learning articles, news, and more!

We are excited to have Peter Loft, Incredible Years Certified Trainer, guest blogging for us today! Peter provides a response to an article published in the New York Times (October 27th) which discusses the importance of early childhood education as a means to address economic inequality, poverty and crime in the United States.

**Response to “Do We Invest in Preschools or Prisons?” (written by Nicolas Kristof)**

By: Peter Loft, MSW

[![peter_wally](https://www.incredibleyears.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/peter_wally-Jul-26-2023-09-25-10-5488-PM.jpg?width=286&height=181&name=peter_wally-Jul-26-2023-09-25-10-5488-PM.jpg)](https://www.incredibleyears.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/peter_wally-Jul-26-2023-09-25-11-0477-PM.jpg)*Peter Loft, with Wally*

New York Times’ Op-Ed article, [“Do we Invest in Preschools or Prisons?” by Nicolas Kristoff](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/opinion/sunday/kristof-do-we-invest-in-preschools-or-prisons.html) (published Sunday, Oct. 27th, 2013) is a good read.  He makes a compelling case for **early child education**, and emphasizes actually working with families much younger than preschool is the way to go!  He also refers to the ground breaking research by Hart and Risley, on the **importance of verbal interaction** with adults for young children, as having  a **significant correlation towards better academic outcomes and life skills over time. **For those interested in learning more about Hart & Risley’s research, you can [click here for the original article (published 1968)](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1901/jaba.1968.1-267/abstract) or you can [view a more recent article which was published online earlier this year](http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/dev/28/6/1096/).

[![reading_blog_graphic](https://www.incredibleyears.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/reading_blog_graphic-Jul-26-2023-09-25-10-7746-PM.jpg)](https://www.incredibleyears.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/reading_blog_graphic-Jul-26-2023-09-25-11-2842-PM.jpg)

I reflect back on 20 years of Incredible Years and love the fact that all of our programs include a huge emphasis on** dialogic reading** in age appropriate ways, and **descriptive commenting** focusing on academic, persistence, social and emotional competence. It is a great reminder to us all that the simple ongoing strategies are often some of the most powerful ones we can offer to families, teachers, and caregivers everywhere.

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