More than one third of kindergarteners in B.C. struggle with core development, study finds

More than one third of children in kindergarten in British Columbia are struggling with core areas of development, including their cognitive development and physical wellbeing, representing the highest number since researchers began collecting data, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia.

The research shows that young children are doing worse in almost every category of core development compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The findings are concerning because children who start school when they are vulnerable in one or more areas have a higher likelihood of struggling socially or academically in later years, said researchers at the Human Early Learning Partnership, or HELP, at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, who conducted the study.