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ABC and 123: They’re the basics of early childhood education, but the way kids learn these basics is up for debate.

In a recent segment of KCUR-FM’s Up to Date, Tyler Nottberg, president and CEO of U.S. Engineering; Erin Brower, public policy director at the Partnership for Children; and the Mid-America Regional Council’s Jim Caccamo discussed the latest innovations and debates in early learning. The conversation explored why the strength of these programs ties in to developing a strong economy.

KCUR-FM is a service of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.