Largely as a result of long-term economic and institutional disparities, African-American children in California have limited access to learning opportunities from a young age, a report from Education Trust-West finds. The report, Black Minds Matter (32 pages, PDF), found that African-American children in the state have limited access to high-quality preschool and are less likely to be read to daily than children of most other racial/ethnic groups. The report also notes that research has shown that learning gaps due to disparities in financial stability, health, and well-being appear early and that by age 2 low-income children — regardless of race — are six months behind their higher-income peers in language development, while by age 5 they are more than two years behind. With more than half living in low-income households and more than a third living below the poverty line, African-American children in the state also are more likely to attend a highly segregated and high-poverty school and have limited access to quality curricula and instruction; more likely to be suspended or to drop out; and less likely to meet state standards on standardized tests. To close the achievement gap, the report argues, family engagement programs; early and continued interventions in health, wellness, and socio-emotional support; equitable access to high-quality curricula and educators from preschool through college; and expanded access to financial aid are urgently needed.