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.