We're Missing the Brain's Biggest Event — And North Dakota Kids Are Paying the Price
October 23, 2025
Here's something most people don't know: In North Dakota, children aren't legally required to attend school until age 7. By then, the brain's most critical developmental window has nearly closed.
90% of brain development happens by age 5. Yet we treat early childhood education like it's optional.
The Research Is Clear. Why Aren't We Listening?
We say we want higher 3rd grade reading scores. Lower dropout rates. Better family engagement. Reduced incarceration and teen pregnancy rates.
The solution isn't a mystery—it's neuroscience. Those early years (0-7) are when neurons make the connections that create the "neurological superhighways" complex learning travels on later. Miss this window, and we're trying to build a foundation after the house is already up.
Let's Talk Business
Everyone loves "upstream thinking" in business—solving problems before they become crises. But in education? We act like upstream starts at kindergarten.
News flash: Kindergarten is already downstream.
True upstream thinking means investing before children enter the K-12 system. During those critical early years when brains are most plastic, most receptive, most ready to build the architecture that supports all future learning.
So Why Don't We?
What's really stopping us from prioritizing early childhood education?
Lack of understanding about how valuable brain time is during ages 0-7?
Politics?
Fear of losing private dollars or institutional stature?
Is it simply easier to blame parents and caregivers than to examine our systematic approach to learning and evidence-based practices?
The Stakes Are Too High
I'll keep advocating for those little brains—for all those neurons desperately seeking connections during the brain's biggest developmental event. Because when we ignore early childhood, we're not just missing an opportunity.
We're abandoning the foundation entirely, then wondering why the structure struggles.
North Dakota law may say school can wait until 7. Brain science says we can't afford to.