Study Connects Kindergarten Readiness to Health and Achievement at High School Graduation

The results of a study reaffirm the importance of early childhood readiness and suggest that early interventions could benefit the productivity and health of larger populations. The study, “Kindergarten Readiness, Later Health, and Social Costs,” will be published in the December 2020 Pediatrics (published online Nov. 2). In the study of 966 Canadian children, co-authors Caroline Fitzpatrick at the Université Sainte-Anne Church Point, Canada, and Linda Pagani of the Université de Montréal found that math skills contributed to better grades at the end of high school and a lower risk of dropout. Engagement in the kindergarten classroom predicted higher high school grades, lower dropout risk, better school connectedness, lower risk of substance abuse, and more physical activity. Kindergarten classroom engagement was also associated with a 65% reduction in the odds of being overweight at age of 17. According to the authors, these findings build links between education and health indicators, suggesting that children who start school prepared gain a lifetime advantage that can help the greater population.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.