The Chattanooga Basics five core principles were developed by The Achievement Gap Initiative (AGI) at Harvard University and promoted through the Boston Basics Initiative. The Boston Basics was funded by the Black Philanthropy Fund and is a partnership with Harvard University, the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. It is inspired by the fact that 80% of brain development happens in the first three years of life. During this period, skill gaps between socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups become clearly apparent. This does not need to be! Everyday interactions between children, their parents, and other caregivers provide abundant opportunities to give children from every background a more equal start in life.

The Basics are five evidence-based parenting and caregiving principles that encompass much of what experts find is important for children from birth to age three. Every child from every background can benefit from routinely experiencing basic learning experiences. Therefore, the Basics Initiative is working through a broad range of institutions to ensure that every parent and caregiver is fully supported by family and friends to use these basic practices in everyday life.