Kindergarten Readiness, Later Health, and Social Costs Caroline Fitzpatrick, Phd,A,B Elroy Boers, Phd,C Linda S
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Kindergarten Readiness, Later Health, and Social Costs Caroline Fitzpatrick, PhD,a,b Elroy Boers, PhD,c Linda S. Pagani, PhDc,d OBJECTIVES: To estimate associations between kindergarten readiness and academic, abstract psychological, and health risks by end of high school. METHODS: This study is based on 966 Canadian children. At age 5, trained examiners assessed child number knowledge and receptive vocabulary. Teachers reported kindergarten classroom engagement. At age 17, participants reported academic grades, school connectedness, anxiety sensitivity, substance abuse, physical activity involvement, and height and weight. High school dropout risk was also estimated for each participant on the basis of grades, school engagement, and grade retention. RESULTS: Kindergarten math skills contributed to better end-of high school grades (b = .17, P , .01) and lower dropout risk (b = 2.20, P , .001), whereas receptive vocabulary predicted lower anxiety sensitivity (b = 2.11, P , .01). Kindergarten classroom engagement predicted higher end of high school grades (b = .17, P , .001), lower dropout risk (b = 2.20, P , .01), better school connectedness (b = .15, P , .01), lower risk of substance abuse (b = 2.21, P , .001), and more physical activity involvement (b = .09, P , .05). Kindergarten classroom engagement was also associated with a 65% reduction (odds ratio = 0.35) in the odds of being overweight at age of 17. Analyses were adjusted for key child (sex, weight per gestational age, nonverbal IQ, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors) and family (parental involvement, maternal depression and immigrant status, family configuration, and socioeconomic status) characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood readiness forecasts a protective edge by emerging adulthood. With these findings, we build links between education and health indicators, suggesting that children who start school prepared gain a lifestyle advantage. Promoting kindergarten readiness could reduce the health burden generated by high school dropout. ’ aDepartement of Social Sciences, Université Sainte-Anne, Church Point, Canada; bCentre for Education Practice WHAT S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Researchers have Research, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa; cSainte-Justine Research Centre, Montréal, shown that being ready to learn in kindergarten can Canada; and dÉcole de sychoéducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada forecast achievement in later elementary school. Furthermore, separate researchers have established Dr Fitzpatrick had full access to the data, conceptualized the study, conducted the analyses, and a link between high school achievement, lifestyle choices, drafted the manuscript; Drs Boers and Pagani provided critical feedback and edited the and productivity. manuscript; and all authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: With our results, we suggest DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0978 long-term protective associations between readiness to learn in kindergarten and personal success at age 17. Accepted for publication Sep 22, 2020 With this study, we therefore reaffirm the importance of Address correspondence to Caroline Fitzpatrick, PhD,1695 Highway 1, B0W1M0, Church Point, early childhood readiness and suggest that early Canada. E-mail: caroline.fi[email protected] interventions could benefit population productivity and PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 0031-4005; Online, 1098-4275). health. Copyright © 2020 by the American Academy of Pediatrics To cite: Fitzpatrick C, Boers E, Pagani LS. Kindergarten fi FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no nancial relationships relevant to Readiness, Later Health, and Social Costs. Pediatrics. 2020; this article to disclose. 146(6):e20200978 Downloaded from www.aappublications.org/news by guest on September 28, 2021 PEDIATRICS Volume 146, number 6, December 2020:e20200978 ARTICLE Many children begin kindergarten economic implications. A compelling that took place in the province inadequately prepared to benefitfrom way to evaluate that adage would be between 1997 and 1998. Sex was classroom instruction.1,2 Children to examine the extent to which equally represented, with 49% girls who are unprepared risk struggling cognitive and learning skills predict and 72% of parents described their throughout their academic journey.3 long-term outcomes and indictors of child as being Canadian. Most parents Among physical wellbeing, general life success. (81%) reported that their spoken knowledge, and social emotional language was French. Finally, 21.7% The objective with this study is to wellbeing characteristics, compelling of parents reported being under the examine the extent to which evidence suggests that fundamental poverty line cutoff for Canadian kindergarten readiness skills, skills in math and vocabulary are families. For complete sample reflecting previous experiences and invariably the most crucial predictors description, see Supplemental learning, forecast later mental and of academic success in later Information. – physical health risks by the end of elementary.3 5 Kindergarten high school, an important life course classroom engagement skills, which turning point for youth. As a result, Main Predictors (Age 5, reflect the ability to successfully we examine academic performance, Kindergarten Entry) adjust to classroom demands, also dropout risk, school connectedness, Math skills were assessed by using an appear to foster an academic edge anxiety sensitivity, substance abuse, abridged version of the Number throughout elementary school.6 physical activity, and healthy weight Knowledge Test (NKT).17 The NKT Indeed, productive learning behaviors outcomes by age 17, which marks the measures the child’s degree of in kindergarten predict educational end of high school in the province of familiarity with basic notions of attainment by emerging adulthood.7 Quebec. Given that development is arithmetic such as counting, adding, In addition to academic success, presumably influenced by multiple and subtracting, as a function of age. school readiness has been linked to individual and environmental factors For additional details on this measure health and social outcomes. across childhood,15,16 we adjust for see Supplemental Information. According to researchers of one study, child sex, birth weight per gestational students who began kindergarten age, kindergarten nonverbal IQ, and Verbal skills were assessed by using with better vocabulary and math behavior problems as well as parental the Peabody Picture Vocabulary 18 skills showed greater chances of and family demographic Test, which was administered healthy lifestyle behavior by the end characteristics as potential individually in French or English by of fourth grade.8 Kindergarten confounding variables. Furthermore, a trained research assistant. This test classroom engagement has also been in regressions addressing links comprises practice images, followed found to forecast more optimal between school readiness and end of by 170 other images in order of emotional adjustment, relationships high school physical activity and BMI, increasing difficulty. The starting with classmates, participation in we control for kindergarten BMI and point depends on the child’s age. physical activity, and BMI by the end physical fitness. Scores are standardized as a function of elementary school.6,9–11 of tables of age-related normative criteria.19 The results of the Peabody Educational attainment is closely METHODS Picture Vocabulary Test are strongly intertwined with important health, Sample correlated with typical language wellbeing, and productivity outcomes subscales of most standardized 12–14 for both individuals and society. We conducted secondary analyses intelligence tests.18 However, to date, much of the work using data from the Quebec on school readiness has examined Longitudinal Study of Child Classroom engagement was reported how school readiness contributes to Development (QLSCD; 1998–2019). by kindergarten teachers using – success in later elementary school.3 5 The QLSCD originates from a 7-item scale: works and plays A longer-term follow-up of school a randomly selected, stratified cooperatively with other children, readiness on later indicators of potential sample of 2837 infants from follows rules and instructions, follows vocational success can therefore the birth registry between 1997 and directions, listens attentively, afford crucial evidence of the 1998 in Quebec, Canada. From these, completes work on time, works importance of ensuring that all 2120 children were retained for autonomously, and works neatly and children are ready to learn at the time longitudinal follow-up from 5 months carefully (a = .94). Responses were of school entry. The 20th century onward. The retained participants, made on a Likert scale and ranged expression that all one really needs to representing 82% of the eligible from 1 (never) to 3 (always) for each know they learned in kindergarten target population, are considered item. Higher scores reflect better appeals to us for its health, social, and representative of all singleton births engagement. This classroom Downloaded from www.aappublications.org/news by guest on September 28, 2021 2 FITZPATRICK et al engagement measure is empirically 3 (agree), or 4 (completely agree), in kg]/height in m2) specific for age related with academic ability.5,6 a = .82. and sex. Outcomes (Age 17, End of High Substance Abuse