Children who attend preschool before starting school are significantly more likely to arrive ready to learn, according to a major Curtin University study of more than 123,000 Western Australian children, published on Jul. 28.
Preschool in Western Australia—commonly referred to as kindergarten or 'kindy'—is the early learning program offered in the year before compulsory school (pre-primary). The study found that preschool attendance was linked to better outcomes across every area of child development and a substantially lower risk of children starting school developmentally vulnerable. Researchers said the findings provide some of the strongest population-level evidence supporting the role of preschool in helping children build skills needed for success at school and later in life.
Lead author and Curtin University PhD candidate Kendalem Atalell said, "The results showed just how important the year before school can be." The research analyzed data from 123,256 Western Australian children who participated in the Australian Early Development Census between 2009 and 2021.
Senior author Associate Professor Gizachew Tessema from Curtin's School of Population Health and enAble Institute said too many children still arrive at school without necessary skills. "More than one in five Australian children start school developmentally vulnerable, which can affect their learning, wellbeing and future opportunities," Tessema said. He added, "Our findings show preschool was associated with better developmental outcomes, helping children develop the social, emotional, physical and communication skills they need before they start formal schooling." Tessema also noted concerns that disadvantaged communities were less likely to attend early childhood education programs despite potentially benefiting most from them. "Improving access to high-quality preschool programs could be an important way to give every child a fair start in life," he said.
Co-author Professor Gavin Pereira from Curtin's School of Population Health said these results add to growing evidence that early childhood education plays a vital role in shaping children's development. "School readiness is about much more than knowing letters and numbers," Pereira said. "It's about developing the social, emotional and communication skills that help children engage, learn and flourish throughout their education."
The study also examined daycare attendance with mixed results: while daycare was linked to lower developmental vulnerability in language, cognitive and communication domains, it was associated with higher vulnerability in social competence and emotional maturity. The authors suggested possible explanations including age at entry into care or duration spent there but recommended further exploration due to varied patterns among families.
Western Australian Primary Principals' Association President Niel Smith commented on broader benefits: "High-quality kindergarten programs provide children with the best possible start... Through structured and free play...children build confidence...and arrive at school ready to learn both academically and emotionally." Smith also highlighted kindergarten as an opportunity for early identification of additional learning needs so families can access support promptly.
