One size does not fit all children when it comes to preschool education - this is a key message from the working paper, illustrated with reference to the real lives of young children as diverse as (for example) Cecilia who lives in a family with eight children in an Andean town and Hugo from a village in the Upper Amazon. Another message that merits attention is the extent and nature of the learning that takes place within the everyday environment of homes like the ones that Cecilia and Hugo live in, learning that is complementary to what is learned at school and preschool. How can messages like these be translated into policies and programmes that will enhance the life chances of young children around the world who are at present disadvantaged and marginal?