The association between playgroup participation, learning competence and social-emotional wellbeing for children aged four–five years in Australia

DATA FROM Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children is used to examine the associations between playgroup participation and the outcomes for children aged four to five years. Controlling for a range of socioeconomic and family characteristics, playgroup participation from birth to three years was used to predict learning competence and social-emotional functioning outcomes at age four–five years. For learning competence, both boys and girls from disadvantaged families scored three–four per cent higher if they attended playgroup at ages birth–one year and two–three years compared to boys and girls from disadvantaged families who did not attend playgroup. For social and emotional functioning, girls from disadvantaged families who attended playgroup at ages birth–one year and two–three years scored nearly five per cent higher than those who did not attend. Demographic characteristics also showed that disadvantaged families were the families least likely to access these services. Despite data limitations, this study provides evidence that continued participation in playgroups is associated with better outcomes for children from disadvantaged families.