This HANDBOOK is born out of hope for all our littlest ones. Parent influence is greatest, ages 0 to 5, when brain growth, learning capacity, and emotional stability are largely established -- 80% by age 3 and 90% by age 5. Early childhood home and neighborhood experiences are foundational. Pre-school “Opportunity Gaps” are highly correlated to K-12 “Achievement Gaps” . All pupils learn in K-12, but children raised in poverty rarely soar. Parents in all income levels love their children, and those in higher socio-economic levels have “the means” to enrich their child’s lives where it most counts -- during their formative years, ages 0 to 5, and then continuing into K-12 years. This handbook celebrates what promotes early childhood brain growth and development and clarifies why so many children in poverty are left behind – identified as one of America’s greatest challenges in the 21st Century.