Following the journey from early learning to school

Professor Elaine Reese and a team of academics are leading the ongoing Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start) study, a national study investigating how early support for oral language and self-regulation can shape the learning, wellbeing and brain development of tamariki.

Elaine explains how the research is tracking outcomes from toddlerhood through early primary school, offering valuable insights into how enriched early experiences can support smoother school transitions and long-term success.

How can we best support oral language and self-regulation in tamariki from early childhood? Findings from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study and Growing Up in New Zealand highlight the importance of both skill sets for lifelong learning and success.

Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start) study is a national trial in 136 early childhood centres across Aotearoa New Zealand, involving more than 1,600 tamariki and 1,800 kaiako. It began in 2021 with the aim of promoting children’s oral language and self-regulation through two professional development programmes: ENRICH and ENGAGE.

Kia Tīmata Pai was founded by Professor Richie Poulton, and I now lead the study with a team of academics and community partners from Otago, Auckland, Waikato, and Te Herenga Waka universities, supported by Methodist Mission Southern, BestStart Educare and National Libraries. ENRICH focuses on serve-and-return interactions during book reading, everyday conversations and sound play to support oral language, emergent literacy and mathematics development. ENGAGE uses games and activities to foster cognitive, emotional and behavioural self-regulation. Both programmes are evidence-based, developed in Aotearoa New Zealand, and aligned with Te Whāriki. ENRICH connects with the oral language resource Te Kōrerorero / Talking Together, while ENGAGE aligns with the social and emotional resource He Māpuna te Tamaiti.

What the research Is showing

Early findings from the toddler phase of Kia Tīmata Pai show that ENRICH supports children’s oral language, book interactions, self-regulation and social skills by age three.

Researchers are now analysing the preschool phase (ages three to five) to assess continued benefits of ENRICH and the added impact of ENGAGE on oral language, emergent literacy, mathematics and self-regulation.

Children with strong storytelling, sound awareness and numeracy skills tend to find reading and maths more accessible. Similarly, those with strong memory and emotional regulation are better equipped to participate and learn effectively in classroom settings.

The study is now entering an exciting new phase, supported by $3 million dollars in funding from the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

This phase will assess academic skills (reading and mathematics), learning engagement and self-regulation at ages six and seven. It will also explore brain development in over 200 children using non-invasive technologies during school-like tasks.

These insights will help shape school transition programmes and deepen our understanding of how to support tamariki across both ECE and primary school.

What it means for schools

As study participants transition to primary schools nationwide, schools may be invited to take part. Teachers of participating children will be asked to complete a 15-minute questionnaire per child and a single five-minute questionnaire about their teaching practices.

Teachers will receive a koha, and schools will be entered into a raffle for cash prizes. This is a valuable opportunity to contribute to research that supports smoother transitions and better outcomes for tamariki.

Kia Tīmata Pai is the first large-scale trial to test the separate and combined impacts of oral language and self-regulation enrichment on learning, behaviour, socio-emotional skills and brain development.

The findings will inform educational practices in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. For example, a similar programme to ENRICH in Denmark has shown long-term benefits for language, reading and mathematics – but lacks a selfregulation module like ENGAGE.

The combination of both programmes may offer even greater outcomes for tamariki.

To learn more, email beststart.study@otago.ac.nz.

Related articles

Self-regulation connects through trusted relationships: The ENGAGE programme is now in action right across Aotearoa with a recent expansion into Te Tai Tokerau.

More tamariki to learn self-regulation skills through play: An evidence-based programme which uses play to help tamariki develop important selfregulation skills is undergoing a significant expansion across Aotearoa.