<p>This paper summarises findings from the rigorous literature review, <em>Early childhood development and cognitive development in developing countries</em>. It provides an overview of key evidence to assist policy-makers and researchers in assessing the research in this field.</p>
<p>Among the key findings are:</p>
<ul>
<li>A large, high-quality evidence base shows that early childhood development (ECD) interventions focusing on (i) parental support; (ii) early stimulation and education; (iii) nutrition and health; (iv) income supplementation; and (v) comprehensive and integrated programmes have positive effects on children’s cognitive development </li>
<li>The largest effects are associated with comprehensive programmes</li>
<li>Parent-focused interventions are most effective when both the child and parent are involved and </li>
<li>Using well-qualified early childhood educators and community health workers lead to better cognitive outcomes for children across programmes</li>
</ul>