The cognitive test scores of 20 second-born children who had participated in an early education project since birth were compared to those of their nonparticipant older siblings. The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were administered to all of the children prior to entering kindergarten. Contrary to the expected effects of birth order, the program children consistently scored higher than their older siblings on all subtests as well as the General Cognitive Index. The advantages for second-born children, which were not seen among sibling pairs in a comparison group, suggest the positive effects of early education.
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