School readiness crisis as half of Aussie kids are developmentally delayed – and researchers have identified a key reason why
Half of all Australian kids are developmentally delayed when they start school, but university researchers have identified one key factor that makes a huge difference.
The daily habits of preschoolers are contributing to a growing generation of kids who are not ready to start school by the time they turn five or six, new data shows.
A study of the sleep, screen time and physical activity of Australian toddlers has found just 17 per cent meet national guidelines.
Those who aren’t active enough at age four are the ones who struggle most when starting school, the University of Wollongong study found.
It comes as national statistics show the proportion of children developmentally on track when they start school is declining in every state and every domain, with social competence, language and emotional development the biggest problems.
The 2024 Australian Early Development Census, a national survey of around 300,000 children aged five and six, found only 52.9 per cent of children nationally are meeting benchmarks in all areas: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language competence and communication skills.
Nearly one in four are developmentally vulnerable in one or more areas and 12 per cent are vulnerable in two or more areas, which is the highest since the data collection started in 2009.
This is despite rising numbers of children attending high quality early learning programs such as preschools and childcare centres.
Children in the University of Wollongong study were assessed over a period of two years, with those who met physical activity guidelines showing significantly higher school readiness compared to those who didn’t meet any guidelines.
The guidelines state that Australian children aged three to five should engage in at least 180 minutes a day of physical activity (from moderate to vigorous), less than one hour of sedentary behaviour, usually screen time and 10 to 13 hours of good quality sleep, including naps.
Children in the study, who were on average four and a half years old, spent 172 minutes in physical activity, 81 minutes on screens and 11 hours sleeping.
The findings mirror other international research, including a 2024 study of 10,000 Chinese preschoolers that found more than three hours of outdoor play a day was associated with better school readiness and developmental outcomes.
Researchers called for interventions to increase the physical activity of preschoolers, along with good sleep practices such as consistent bedtime routines and limited evening screen use.
Lead author Myrto Mavilidi, a Fellow in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong, said sleep, screen use and movement were all inter-related behaviours.
“If you don’t sleep enough it can affect your physical activity, and screen time will also feed into other things, like sleep and movement,” she said.
“It’s about having a lifestyle that’s in balance – sleep well, be physically active and don’t spend too much time on screens. Parents should be setting patterns for their children.
“People don’t realise that physical activity has a lot to do with academic performance.”
Julie Denman, playgroup co-ordinator at Dave’s Angels Playgroup, emphasised the importance of exposing toddlers to literature, socialising, and physical activity early on in life.
“Every child is an individual and they all develop in their own ways, but I think that the more you can introduce them to…that definitely helps their development and gets them school ready,” she said.
When it comes to keeping toddlers active, Aleksandra Golat, mum of two-year-old Noah, said playgroup, childcare, playgrounds, and kindergym all help with “getting out some of that energy”.
“We definitely are not ‘no screen time’, but we are limiting it. We basically just try to keep an eye on the clock and cap it to about an hour if we can. Some days we’re not perfect, so it’s a little bit more, and some days it’s none. It just depends,” she said.
Ms Golat’s advice for getting toddlers ready for school is to understand the importance of their passions and interests.
“I think just being interested in your kids. If they’re curious about something, just try to school yourself about it. I’ve learnt a lot about space and forestry trucks myself,” she said.
Education Minister Jason Clare said early education was important in getting children ready for school.
“That’s what the evidence shows. Children who attend preschool are 1.5 times more likely to be on track. That’s why we’re bringing in the three-day guarantee from next year,” he said.
“And in the world we live in, it matters more than ever to get kids outside, running around, being kids. It’s goods for their health, it helps their development and it’s a whole lot of fun too.”
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