Development and validation of eDia EDIT: a digital school readiness screening system

Reliable, scalable assessment of school readiness remains challenging due to resource demands and limited multidimensional coverage. This study introduces and validates eDia EDIT, a technology-based screening system integrating early literacy, numeracy, and general cognitive abilities. The system was tested on a nationwide sample of 13,349 children during the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis supported a multidimensional structure with a higher-order factor, outperforming unidimensional models. Measurement invariance analyses supported comparability of the latent constructs across the combined kindergarten/tablet and Grade 1/computer conditions. The assessment demonstrated high reliability. Response-time analyses provided evidence of usability. eDia EDIT offers a solution for data-informed early screening of foundational school readiness and for identifying children who may benefit from further assessment or additional educational support.