January 20, 2026
The American Journal of Public Health published findings in 2015, based on a 20-year study that followed 753 kindergarteners into adulthood. That study found that social skills at age 5 were the biggest indicator of future success.
The report entitled, Social and Emotional Development in Early Learning Settings, indicated that the higher a child’s social competency score in kindergarten, the more likely they were to earn a high school diploma, get a college degree, and have a full-time job by the age of 25.
Conversely, low social and emotional development was linked by the study to a higher likelihood of time spent in juvenile detention, arrest, drug and alcohol use, and being on a waitlist for public housing.
The study defines social and emotional development as “a child’s capacity to experience, regulate and express a range of emotions; develop close, satisfying relationships with other children and adults; and actively explore their environment and learn.”
With more than 10 million children under age 5 enrolled in home- and center-based childcare and pre-K programs, the findings suggest it’s more important than ever to choose a childcare, preschool, or pre-K center that builds those skills.
Families looking to give their child the best chance at a successful future should look for “licensure and accreditation, well-trained caregivers, low staff-child ratios and parent involvement” when choosing a childcare center. In addition, they should choose a childcare center that builds and supports their child’s social/emotional development.
Lastly, the study states that, “Early care and education professionals are also critical to identifying children who face barriers to healthy social and emotional development and helping families obtain the support they need. They sometimes partner with an early childhood mental health consultant to address challenging behaviors and develop behavior support plans.”
Fraser Childcare & Preschool Center (Fraser School®) blends these imperatives into an inclusion-based model of play and learning that welcomes children of all abilities to learn, play, and grow together, from infancy to pre-K.
At the center, infants as young as 6 weeks begin to learn socialization through scheduled meal and snack times. Toddlers learn structure, by sitting together to hear stories or songs, and they practice self-soothing. By preschool, children are being lovingly guided as they work negotiating with others, sharing toys, taking turns, and solving problems. In Pre-K, children are learning through structured and longer, large-group activities, in addition to gross and fine motor skill development and introduction of math, writing, and literacy skills. With co-located occupational and physical therapy and mental/behavioral health supports, the school ensures that children of all abilities get a great start.
Fraser Childcare and Preschool Center is accredited through the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) and is Four Star Parent Aware rated. Teachers use The Creative Curriculum® — the gold standard for infant, toddler, and preschool curriculum. Children are assessed twice a year with Teaching Strategies Gold to monitor social/emotional, cognitive, physical and language development. And the school utilizes Incredible Years for social and emotional curriculum with puppets, Molly and Wally, visiting classrooms for group activities and discussion.
Find out more by visiting https://www.fraser.org/preschool.