Idaho’s 3- to 5-year-olds rank last in the nation for early learning skills needed to be ready for kindergarten, according to data recently released from the National Survey of Children’s Health.
The survey asked parents across the nation how ready their kids are for kindergarten in five areas: early learning skills, social emotional development, self regulation, motor development and health.
Among all five categories of school readiness, Idaho ranks 46th among all 50 states and Washington, D.C., behind Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon, South Dakota and Louisiana.
Nationwide, 65.7% of 3- to 5-year-olds are on track to be ready for kindergarten. In Idaho, 59.1% are on track.
But Idaho lags behind every other state in early learning skills. These skills include a youngster's ability to write their first name, read one-digit numbers, do simple addition, tell which group of objects has more, count objects and recognize letters of the alphabet.
Of these early learning skills, 70.8% of 3- to 5-year-olds are on track nationwide, according to parents, but in Idaho 53% are on track.
Nicole Criner, executive director of the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, said the data shows why it’s so important to keep early education in the forefront.
“What we know is the first five years of a child's life build a foundation of success for their future,” Criner said.
She said the data didn’t surprise her. She mentioned a recent EdNews story showing 57% of Idaho students in grades K-3 are reading at grade level or higher.
The National Survey of Children’s Health data is from 2023 and 2024. The federal government’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau funded and directed the project, and the U.S. Census Bureau administered the survey.
The survey found a significant discrepancy in school readiness among families living below the federal poverty line compared with families living at least 400% above the poverty line.
Idaho does not provide universal preschool and pays for half-day kindergarten. Workforce issues play a role in early education, Criner said. When families are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, childcare can become too expensive.
"Families deserve the right to choose what works best for them with childcare and early education, but for them to choose, they actually need choices," Criner said.
Kids living in D.C. are the most on track to be ready for kindergarten, according to the survey, followed by New Jersey and Illinois.
