Priming toddlers on their ABCs is, for most, as natural a part of their day as nursery rhymes and naps. But new research suggests that the 123s may have a more important place in their cognitive development.

The latest research is a meta-analysis of studies in a number of countries, including Canada, that followed 36,000 children through their elementary years.

What it found was that it was mastery of academic skills -- language, numbers and, to a lesser degree, the ability to focus -- rather than behaviour that dictated success in school, and particularly math skills.

Schools have typically emphasized literacy; this study published this month in the American journal Developmental Psychology indicates that beginning school with good basic math skills is more critical for learners. ….It has been an article of faith that reading and writing is the building block for good learning. This analysis indicates that mastery of language skills makes a big difference in success in schools, but not as much as a child's understanding of basic math when he or she begins school.

Research like this is important for provincial and federal governments to keep in mind when deciding how best to spend tax dollars on child care.

A 2005 study of a pre-kindergarten program in Tulsa, Oklahoma found that regardless of race, children who participated in a structured program with trained teachers gained far greater academic benefits than those who did not, and the outcomes exceeded the benefits found in studies of day-care programs and all but the highest quality of preschool programs.

Greater spending on a universal, school-based pre-kindergarten program that gives basic math the respect it deserves would seem to be the better investment for an educated population.