Early Development Instrument
What is the EDI?
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a Canadian-made, internationally recognized research tool developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University.
It is used to measure developmental health trends and changes in populations of five-year-old children. The EDI is designed to be interpreted at the group level only.
The 103-item EDI questionnaire is completed by Kindergarten teachers for each student in their class. Questionnaires are completed in the second half of the school year, so that teachers are able to knowledgeably answer the questions for each student.
The EDI measures five important areas of early child development:
- Physical Health and Well-being: Physical independence, health, and gross and fine motor skills.
- Social Competence: Ability to play and work well with other children and willingness to try new things.
- Emotional Maturity: Management of feelings and consideration of the feelings of others.
- Language and Cognitive Development: Ability to listen to stories and shows an interest in books, reading and numbers.
- Communications Skills and General Knowledge: Understanding of communications and ability to tell a story and share experiences.
What does EDI tell us?
The EDI shows patterns of child development, both across the province and within local communities. The EDI domains are good predictors of youth and adult health, education and social outcomes.
The EDI does not diagnose individual children, nor does it evaluate a teacher’s or school’s performance. The EDI is a starting point to inform how we introduce policies and programs to best support child development.
The EDI:
- Increases awareness of the importance of the early years;
- Identifies areas of strength and weakness in children’s development;
- Provides evidence-based research to support community initiatives for healthy child development;
- Strengthens relationships between researchers and communities; and
- Provides communities with information to support future planning and service development.
What is vulnerability in the EDI?
Children scoring in the lowest 10th percentile on an EDI domain are considered vulnerable.
- Vulnerable children are children who, without additional support, will likely experience future challenges in school and society.
- Vulnerability cannot be attributed to a single cause.
- Healthy early development is complex, influenced by many factors and is a result of accumulative experiences in the early years.
EDI in Prince Edward Island
The EDI was most recently collected in Winter 2023.
Prince Edward Island EDI Reports
Prince Edward Island EDI Summary Report 2023
Prince Edward Island EDI Over Time Report 2023
Additional Resources for Families
Get Ready with Me for Kindergarten: Tips and tricks for building kindergarten readiness skills through play at home.
Home Learning Resources for Kindergarten: Suggestions for home learning activities and information about the importance of free play time.
Parenting Support: A variety of parenting support programs are offered across PEI.
PEI Public Library Events: PEI public libraries offer many free educational programs for children.
Start with Play: A resource to discover how children learn through play.
Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program: Universal pre-kindergarten is an optional play-based program for all Island four-year-old children. Pre-kindergarten educators support children’s transition to kindergarten by developing a portfolio for each child which highlights their overall development.
Welcome to Kindergarten: A program that brings families, schools and communities together to support children’s early development through play-based learning and the message, “Talk, Read, Create and Play Every Day!”