TARGet Kids! (TK!) is a multi-disciplinary paediatric practice-based research network based out of SickKids and Unity Health Toronto. Since 2008, the network has been collecting information from parents on child development with the goal of preventing health problems. TK! also collects Early Development Instrument (EDI) data completed by teachers to assess children’s school readiness in kindergarten. School readiness is an important developmental milestone and is related to a child’s school success and well-being. Since 2014, 1368 surveys have been collected from teachers in approximately 350 schools, indicating that approximately 19% of children in the study were vulnerable on the EDI based on provincial standards. Vulnerable children face greater challenges in school learning. Information learned from the EDI will be used to support health and developmental care in primary care for children. If you are interested in helping complete the EDI for kindergarten children in TK! visit www.targetkids.ca or email fitforschool.study@sickkids.ca with any questions you may have.
Note: teacher participation is voluntary and will likely include only one to two children per teacher. The data is collected during provincial rollout years so teachers would not complete the data twice during those years.