The Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) for Families
Hello ELS@H families! We are just getting started with child assessments this year, and we’ll be connecting with all ELS@H children virtually. Be on the lookout for e-mail or phone/text communications from our team members. We are excited to visit with you and your child virtually this spring!
Family Frequently Asked Questions
For Participating Families
Please update your contact information and send us your questions. Have you moved or changed your phone number or email address? Do you have questions about the study? Please use the link below to share your new contact information and questions with us. That way, you can continue to be part of our study of how young children learn and grow across Massachusetts.
Contact UsNeed to get in touch with us? Use the phone number and email below. Toll-free ELS@H Line: 1-844-865-2196
Email: EarlyLearning@abtassoc.com
The Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H; pronounced “Elsa”) is run by the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It is designed to help us learn more about how the types of places where young children spend time relate to how they learn and grow. ELS@H began in 2017, when we recruited over 3,000 3- and 4-year-olds and their early education and care providers across the state of Massachusetts. As the fifth year of the study approaches, we continue to follow this same group of children as they move through elementary school. We also continue to survey early educators. A Massachusetts-based research organization called Abt Associates is working with Harvard researchers to carry out this work.
The study’s unique features—including its large-scale, longitudinal design and population-based, representative sample—will help answer key questions facing children, families, and educators who work with young children. The study will also help policymakers, program designers, and other decision-makers learn how to best support families and early education and care programs.
When ELS@H began in 2017, all participating children enrolled in the study were 3 or 4 years old. This is a longitudinal study, meaning that we hope to follow the same group of children for a long time. This school year, most study children are now in second or third grade.
Yes, we will keep all information that we collect about children, families, schools, and educators private to the fullest extent allowed by law. We will never include the names of children, families, schools, or educators in any reports or study findings. Moreover, we will not report any of the data we collect as part of the study to any government agency, and we will never ask about the legal status of anyone in the study. If we learn that a child is in danger, we are required by law to report this information.
The study team is committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of all participants. We train our team members on data security procedures to keep all study information private and secure. However, participation in a study always includes a small risk that your personal information might be seen by someone outside of the study team. We have developed strict procedures to minimize the chance of this happening.
Featured Resources
Leveraging data collected in late 2020 and early 2021 as part of the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H), this report captures the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, families, and early educators in Massachusetts. This report contains five snapshots addressing two guiding questions: How are children doing? And what is helping children […]
Meet some of the providers chosen to receive the 2021 FCC Innovation Networks Award.
Even in the calmest of times, figuring out what to prioritize and then staying focused is a significant challenge for educators and leaders—and we are not in the calmest of times! How can we figure out what is most important when the external context is in flux, people are exhausted, and the future is uncertain? […]
Thelma Ramirez and Emily Meland discuss strategies for promoting adult-centered, strengths-based, and culturally sustaining social-emotional learning.
This brief describes findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H).