More than one quarter of Nanaimo students come to kindergarten unprepared to learn.

But Nanaimo educators hope that access to full-day kindergarten will improve student learning outcomes.

Elizabeth Pennell, Nanaimo school district’s early years coordinator, said encouraging early development is important because it can predict a child’s educational success and performance later in life.

“Investing $1 in the early years leads to a $17 societal return,” she said. “People who are better educated make healthier choices.”

Each year, teachers assess the state of children’s development at kindergarten in five areas.

Research compiled by the Human Early Learning Partnership, …shows that 27.4 per cent of Nanaimo children were vulnerable on at least one scale of development.

Revelstoke students had the lowest vulnerability at 6.7 per cent and Kitimat students are at the higher end of the scale with 57.6 per cent of students vulnerable on at least one measure.

The five measures of vulnerability are: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge.

Pennell said an all-day kindergarten program will help reduce vulnerability and better prepare students for learning. But the program needs to be preceded by prenatal and toddler programs that support brain development, such as pre-literacy programs, she added…

The number of Nanaimo children entering school vulnerable in one or more of the areas has dropped from 29.5 per cent two years ago.

Nanaimo students were most vulnerable in the social competency measure. Two years ago, students were most vulnerable in the physical health and well-being measure….

Nanaimo school officials use assessment results to help determine where resources are most needed.