Heckman suggested a policy of pre-distribution, or early intervention, to reduce inequality such as high intergenerational correlation of earnings resulting from gaps in early investment in children's cognitive and non-cognitive capabilities. He described the research supporting this approach including a framework for multi-dimensional conceptualization of skills, research on the critical periods for skill formation including epigenetic approaches, and the role of families and schools. In presenting this work, Heckman taught the econometric methods for identifying the relevant model parameters and explored the implications for policy.