A child climbs a book staircase, symbolizing the journey to school readiness through health and education.

Ready to Thrive: How Health and Education Unite for Your Child's Success

Beau Callahan in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock your child's potential by understanding the vital link between health and early education. Discover practical strategies to ensure they're ready to learn and succeed."

Every parent dreams of seeing their child thrive, not just survive, in the academic world. Kindergarten readiness isn't just about knowing ABCs and 123s; it’s deeply rooted in a child's health and well-being. Children who enter kindergarten healthy are significantly more likely to excel academically. However, a considerable number of children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, face significant hurdles in both health and education, impacting their readiness to learn.

The United States, while a global leader in many sectors, lags behind in providing comprehensive early childhood education (ECE). With only about half of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in preschool, the nation trails behind many other high-income countries. This gap, coupled with increasing disparities in healthcare access, especially concerning social determinants of health, raises critical questions about how we prepare our youngest citizens for their educational journey.

This article explores the crucial intersection of health and education in early childhood, emphasizing how addressing disparities in both sectors can significantly improve school readiness and long-term academic outcomes. By synthesizing research from pediatrics and education, we aim to provide parents and educators with actionable insights and strategies to support the holistic development of every child.

Bridging the Gap: Why Health and Education Must Work Together

A child climbs a book staircase, symbolizing the journey to school readiness through health and education.

The first five years of a child's life are foundational, shaping their future health, learning capabilities, and overall life trajectory. Early adversity, especially living in poverty, can profoundly hinder a child's development. However, with the right support and resources, these challenges can be mitigated, and developmental trajectories can be positively altered.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) and pediatrics share a common goal: to foster optimal child development during these critical years. Kindergarten readiness serves as a key indicator of success, strongly correlating with:

Less grade repetition.
Higher graduation rates.
Lower-risk behaviors.
Reduced rates of teenage pregnancy and incarceration.
Improved adult health outcomes.

Unfortunately, a significant number of U.S. children are not developmentally prepared for school, with a widening gap between low-income and minority students compared to their more affluent peers. Addressing this gap requires a collaborative effort between the health and education sectors, yet challenges persist in aligning these fields.

A Call to Action: Ensuring a Healthy Start for Every Child

The journey to ensuring every child enters kindergarten ready to thrive requires a concerted, collaborative effort. By breaking down silos between healthcare and education, leveraging technological advances, and prioritizing early childhood interventions, we can pave the way for a brighter future for all children. It's time to champion policies and initiatives that recognize the inseparable link between health and education, ensuring every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1542/peds.2018-1126, Alternate LINK

Title: The Intersection Of Health And Education To Address School Readiness Of All Children

Subject: Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Journal: Pediatrics

Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Authors: Jaime W. Peterson, Susanna Loeb, Lisa J. Chamberlain

Published: 2018-11-01

Everything You Need To Know

Why is kindergarten readiness so important?

Kindergarten readiness is a crucial indicator of a child's future success. It correlates with various positive outcomes, including less grade repetition, higher graduation rates, lower-risk behaviors, reduced rates of teenage pregnancy and incarceration, and improved adult health outcomes. Focusing on kindergarten readiness, which is rooted in a child's health and well-being, ensures that children are set on a path to lifelong success.

How does early childhood education (ECE) impact a child's development, and why is it important?

Early Childhood Education (ECE) significantly impacts a child's development by fostering optimal development during the critical first five years of life. During this time, a child's health, learning capabilities, and overall life trajectory are shaped. ECE, when coupled with addressing health disparities, can mitigate the negative impacts of early adversity, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The United States lags behind many high-income countries in ECE enrollment, highlighting the need to prioritize and expand access to preschool programs to support children's development and school readiness.

What are the main challenges in the US regarding early childhood development?

The U.S. faces challenges in early childhood development, including a lower rate of preschool enrollment compared to other high-income countries and increasing disparities in healthcare access, specifically concerning social determinants of health. A significant number of children, particularly those from low-income and minority backgrounds, are not developmentally prepared for school. Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort between the health and education sectors to ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive.

How can we improve a child's chances of thriving academically?

To improve a child's chances of thriving academically, it's essential to understand and address the vital link between health and early education. This involves providing comprehensive ECE, ensuring access to healthcare, and supporting the holistic development of every child. By breaking down silos between healthcare and education, leveraging technological advances, and prioritizing early childhood interventions, we can create an environment where all children can reach their full potential. Addressing disparities in both health and education is key to improving school readiness and long-term academic outcomes.

What is the relationship between health and education for a child's success?

The relationship between health and education is deeply intertwined for a child's success. Health and well-being are fundamental to kindergarten readiness, which is a strong predictor of future academic and life outcomes. Children who enter kindergarten healthy are more likely to excel academically and experience fewer challenges later in life. Early Childhood Education (ECE) and pediatrics share the common goal of supporting optimal child development. By addressing health and education simultaneously, we can create a foundation for children to thrive, mitigating the impact of early adversity and setting them on a path to lifelong success. The article emphasizes the inseparable link between these two critical aspects.