This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Children's developmental readiness in kindergarten can predict their math achievement as late as ninth grade, according to research from the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). In one of the first studies of its kind in Ontario, provincewide data on 25,000 students was used to assess five dimensions of school readiness in kindergarten: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive development; and communication skills and general knowledge.
The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, found a strong association between these early developmental measures and math achievement through elementary and into high school. "This study has strong public relevance because it uses large-scale longitudinal Ontario data to examine how children's developmental readiness in kindergarten predicts math achievement through ninth grade," said lead author Fatemeh Ameli, a Canadian Postdoctoral Research Award fellow and sessional lecturer at OISE. Language and cognitive readiness emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of later math achievement.
Physical well-being and social competence were also associated with later math outcomes in key analyses, highlighting the importance of school readiness measures beyond early academic skills alone. Children who were less developmentally ready in kindergarten tended to have lower math scores beginning in third grade, and these differences largely persisted into ninth grade. Although the gaps between children who were on track and not on track in language and cognitive readiness narrowed slightly over time, they did not disappear.
The study extends previous Canadian research by following the relationship between kindergarten readiness and academic achievement beyond the elementary years and into high school, an important contribution given the limited availability of longitudinal education data in Canada. "Early readiness can predict later achievement, but it does not determine a child's future," said Ameli, who carried out the research as part of her doctoral dissertation under the supervision of Scott Davies, a professor in OISE's department of leadership, higher and adult education. "Our findings highlight the importance of supporting children's development early and taking a holistic approach that considers cognitive, social and physical readiness." The researchers say the findings underscore the potential value of early, universal supports that address multiple dimensions of children's development.
Fatemeh Ameli et al., Children's school readiness and math achievement trajectories: A large-scale, longitudinal study from Ontario, Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement (2026). DOI: 10.1037/cbs0000494 BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator.
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