Studies consistently suggest that exposure to trauma or chronic early life stress may impair the development of executive function
skills.6, 7,9,10,11 These
skills appear to provide the foundation for school readiness
through cognition and behaviour.3, 12 Children with better executive function
skills may be more
teachable.3 Indeed, in a high - risk sample, children with better executive function
skills at the beginning of kindergarten showed greater gains in literacy and numeracy than children with poorer initial
skills.12 Considering there is evidence that
Studies consistently suggest that exposure to trauma or chronic early life stress may impair the development of executive function
skills.6, 7,9,10,11 These
skills appear to provide the foundation for school readiness
through cognition and behaviour.3, 12 Children with better executive function
skills may be more
teachable.3 Indeed, in a high - risk sample, children with better executive function
skills at the beginning of kindergarten showed greater gains in literacy and numeracy than children with poorer initial
skills.12 Considering there is evidence that the achievement gap persists and may even widen across the school years, 16,17 it is critical that high - risk children begin school with as successful of a start as possible.