Category Archives: Latest Reports

The Applied Research Group for Kids! (TARGet Kids!) continues to uncover vital information from the Early Development Instrument (EDI)

March 17, 2023Latest Reports, News & EventsEarly Development Instrument

TARGet Kids! (TK!) is a multi-disciplinary paediatric practice-based research network based out of The Hospital for Sick Children and Unity Health Toronto. TK! has been operating since 2008, collecting information on child development with a goal to prevent health problems.

One set of data that TK! collects is the Early Development Instrument (EDI). By using the EDI with our health and outcome measurement data collected in TK!, we are able to draw important connections with how health behaviours impact school readiness.

We are in the early stages of EDI collection for the 2022-2023 school year. To date, we’ve collected over 1300 surveys from 650 teachers in approximately 350 schools and across 15 school boards, TK!. With your help, we can build on the available information that may be used to support health and developmental care for children in primary care.

Read some of our recent publications to see the information that TK! is uncovering thanks to the EDI:

Vanderloo LM, Janus M, Omand JA, et al. Children’s screen use and school readiness at 4-6 years: prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2022; 22:382. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12629-8
Vanderloo LM, Omand J, Keown-Stoneman CDG, et al. Association Between Physical Activity, Screen Time and Sleep, and School Readiness in Canadian Children Aged 4 to 6 Years. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2022;43(2):96-103. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000986
Omand JA, Li X, Keown-Stoneman CDG, et al. Body Weight at Age Four Years and Readiness to Start School: A Prospective Cohort Study [published online ahead of print, 2022 Jul 13]. Child Obes. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2022.0018
Omand JA, Janus M, Maguire JL, et al. Nutritional Risk in Early Childhood and School Readiness. J Nutr. 2021;151(12):3811-3819. https://.org/doi:10.1093/jn/nxab307

Population-Level Data on Child Development at School Entry Reflecting Social Determinants of Health

April 7, 2021Latest ReportsEarly Development Instrument

New publication by Dr. Magdalena Janus called, “Population-Level Data on Child Development at School Entry Reflecting Social Determinants of Health: A Narrative Review of Studies Using the Early Development Instrument.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33805965/

Hidden Future Front Line: Educators’ perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on kindergarten children (HIFLEC)

April 1, 2021Latest ReportsEarly Development Instrument

In the Spring of 2020, we developed and implemented a survey: Hidden Future Front Line: Educators’ perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on kindergarten children (HIFLEC). In this study, using an online survey, we asked kindergarten educators about the realities of distance learning, their concerns for the return to school, as well as about their own health. The overarching aim of this study is to establish a scope of challenges and facilitators of psychosocial adjustment during the transition back to school-based learning for the youngest students, their families, and their educators. The data have been collated and reports generated and shared with all our partners. Copies of the reports can be found here: https://edi.offordcentre.com/about/current-research-projects/

Poverty and early childhood outcomes

June 17, 2019Latest Reportschild development, Early Development Instrument, EDI, Manitoba, poverty, research, stress, toxic stress, University of ManitobaMatt Horner

The rate of poverty in Canada is dropping. From 2016 to 2017 the percentage of the population living below Canada’s Official Poverty Line went from 10.6% to 9.5%. Continue reading Poverty and early childhood outcomes →

How does a parent’s chronic illness impact their child?

April 24, 2019Latest ReportsAEDC, Australia, cancer, child development, chronic illness, Early Development Instrument, EDI, illness, parentsMatt Horner

Chronic physical illnesses are complex, lengthy, and difficult to treat. People dealing with this type of illness often experience impaired physical and social functioning, as well as reduced well-being. Because of these issues, the impact of a physical illness often reaches beyond an individual to his or her immediate family. Continue reading How does a parent’s chronic illness impact their child? →

The intergenerational effects of teenage pregnancy on child development

March 18, 2019Latest Reportsadolescent pregnancy, child development, Early Development Instrument, EDI, grandmother, intergenerational, mother, pregnancy, teen motherhood, teenage pregnancyMatt Horner

Children born to teen mothers generally perform worse on school readiness assessments than children born to adult mothers. What isn’t known is whether this relationship extends to the grandchildren of these teen mothers. Continue reading The intergenerational effects of teenage pregnancy on child development →

Can early social-emotional functioning predict later mental health issues?

February 13, 2019Latest Reportsearly detector, Early Development Instrument, EDI, HELP, Human Early Learning Partnership, mental health, predict, signs, UBC, University of British ColumbiaMatt Horner

Many mental health conditions are first diagnosed in early adolescence, yet many people report experiencing symptoms before their teenage years. Continue reading Can early social-emotional functioning predict later mental health issues? →

Early emotional and communication functioning predicts the academic trajectories of refugee children

November 15, 2018Latest Reportscommunication, development, Early Development Instrument, EDI, emotional health, McMaster University, mental health, refugee, UBC, University of British ColumbiaMatt Horner

Refugees often leave their countries to escape extreme conditions, such as war or violence. Experiencing such hardship may force refugee children to face multiple challenges when settled in their new country beyond those faced by other immigrant children. Although many immigrant children contend with post-migration language and cultural barriers, refugee children may be more likely to experience emotional challenges associated with pre-migration trauma. Continue reading Early emotional and communication functioning predicts the academic trajectories of refugee children →

Are the rates of special health care needs changing?

October 17, 2018Latest ReportsAEDC, Australia, change, prevalence, special health care needs, special needsMatt Horner

Many children who start school have or are at risk of having a special health care need, which requires more medical, educational, or related services than their peers.

Schools need an accurate picture of whether the levels of these needs are changing over time in order to plan for future services and uncover any service gaps. Continue reading Are the rates of special health care needs changing? →

What happens to child development when women delay pregnancy?

May 24, 2018Latest ReportsAEDC, Australia, child development, childbirth, Early Development Instrument, EDI, maternal age, motherhood, University of New South WalesMatt Horner

In recent decades there has been a shift towards women starting families later in high-income countries. Continue reading What happens to child development when women delay pregnancy? →