Neighbourhood Influences on Children's School Readiness

4. Summary of Key Findings

Neighbourhood characteristics are important determinants of children's competencies prior to the beginning of formal education.
The number of affluent neighbours has a positive effect on children's competencies, rather than the number of poor neighbours having a negative effect.
Family characteristics such as higher levels of income and higher levels of PMK education are associated with children's competencies.
Family characteristics mediate neighbourhood effects for toddlers but do not mediate all neighbourhood effects for preschoolers.
There are more direct neighbourhood effects over and above family characteristics on preschoolers than on toddlers.