Learning French while also developing skills in a child’s mother tongue can be challenging. Allophone children, who speak a language other than French at home, often struggle with learning and communication in kindergarten. This can hinder their educational progress. However, new research is highlighting effective solutions.
A study led by Sylvana Côté from the Université de Montréal shows that preschool education services play a crucial role in helping allophone children. These services help bridge the gap between children who speak French as their first language and those who are learning it as a second or third language. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics and co-authored by Ophélie A. Collet, emphasizes the importance of early education.
Professor Côté explains, “Being around other children and educators prepares kids for school better than staying at home where neither French nor English is spoken. The ages of one to five are critical for language development. It takes a community to raise a child, and in this case, that community is preschool.”
Benefits of Preschool Education
The study found that allophone children who attended daycare or pre-kindergarten at age four showed better cognitive development, social skills, and communication abilities compared to those who did not. These improvements are linked to having a solid base of general knowledge.
In Quebec, 6.1% of kindergarteners come from allophone families, totaling about 4,360 children. Among them, nearly 14% stayed home before starting school, while only 6% of French-speaking children did the same.
The research used the Early Development Instrument, which measures children’s readiness for kindergarten. Teachers completed questionnaires based on their interactions with the children and noted whether they had attended preschool.
Professor Côté stresses the need to ensure that allophone children are not disadvantaged by limited preschool spaces. She acknowledges that while bilingualism is beneficial for mental development, learning multiple languages presents real challenges. Children require support during this vital developmental stage.
Importance of Social Skills
Mastering social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills by kindergarten is crucial for academic success. Children lacking these skills are less likely to graduate from high school.
The study surveyed around 80,000 children but excluded 11.2% due to insufficient data, resulting in 71,589 participants—48.8% were girls and 25.6% were learning multiple languages. This group included 13,981 bilingual children (English and French) and 4,360 allophone children. Among them, 26% spoke Arabic, 18% spoke Spanish, and 7.3% spoke various African languages.
Addressing Inequalities
Previous research indicates that quality daycare services benefit all children but are especially important for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Quebec’s subsidized Early Childhood Centers (CPEs), established in 1997 to reduce social inequalities and support work-life balance, have made progress but still face challenges—only 30% of children have access to these centers, and there are significantly fewer in low-income areas.
The researchers adjusted their findings to consider families’ financial situations. Professor Côté notes that the study highlights the impact of preschool services beyond economic status and points out that the best services are often found in wealthier neighborhoods.
“This study calls for improved quality in daycare services as a preventive measure for better integration of children,” concludes Côté. This research is the first to specifically explore how preschool services affect allophone children’s readiness for kindergarten.
Côté also leads the Research Group on Child Psychosocial Maladjustment and plans to follow up with these children when they reach fifth grade to see if the benefits of daycare continue.
The study involved several researchers alongside Collet: Thuy Mai Luu from CHU Sainte-Justine; Pascale M. Domond and Tianna Loose from CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre; Cédric Galéra from Université de Bordeaux; Alejandro Vasquez-Echeverria from the University of the Republic of Uruguay; and Massimiliano Orri from Douglas Research Centre at McGill University.
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