EXCERPTS:
Researchers from the University of Texas in the United States analysed data from the Early Child Care and Youth Development longitudinal study of more than 1,300 children and their families.
As part of the study, early years settings were evaluated at multiple points from when the children were one month to four- and-a-half years old, and mothers interviewed at regular intervals.
The information revealed that mothers whose children spent their early years in high-quality childcare - nurseries or childminders - were more likely than other mothers to be actively involved in their child's school from when they started kindergarten (the equivalent of Reception class).
Mothers who did not send their child to daycare, or whose children attended low-quality settings, were less likely to be involved in their child's school.
School involvement included being in regular contact with teachers, attending school events or visiting the homes of the parents of their child's classmates.
According to the authors of the study, the findings show that what matters is the quality of childcare throughout a child's early years, not just the year before they start school. Also, the quality of children's early care was more important than the type of setting.
Robert Crosnoe, professor of sociology at the University of Texas, said, ‘These findings tie into two important components. First, high-quality child care promotes school readiness. And second, children make a smoother transition to school when families and schools are strongly connected.
‘Linking multiple settings of early childhood-home, child care, and school-early in children's lives helps support children's school readiness and early academic progress.'
The study, High-Quality Child Care Found Good for Children - and Their Mothers, is published in the journal Child Development.