Table 2 Summary of key study measures used in the EHLS at School study

School readiness

English Online Interview [44] is administered by teachers at the beginning of the Preparatory/Foundational Year, taking 20–40 min to complete and assessing children’s reading, writing and speaking, and listening skills.

Data linkage to direct teacher assessment of child (5 years)

School Entrant Health Questionnaire [41] collects data on parents’ concerns and observations about their child’s language, health and wellbeing.

Data linkage to parent-report questionnaire (5 years)

Language

National Institutes of Health Toolbox Picture Vocabulary Test [33] assessing receptive vocabulary.

Direct child assessment (7.5 years)

Recalling Sentences subtest of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Fourth Edition [34]; the child is asked to imitate sentences spoken aloud by the researcher.

Direct child assessment (7.5 years)

Castles and Coltheart Test of Reading Version 2 [35] measuring children’s sounding out ability and whole word recognition.

Direct child assessment (7.5 years)

Academic skills

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy [45] assesses children’s reading, numeracy, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Data linkage to national assessment data for Year 3 (age 8) and 5 (age 10)

Academic Rating Scale [46] assesses children’s academic achievement in terms of language and literacy (10 items) and mathematical ability (8 items).

Teacher questionnaire (7.5 years)

Mental health

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [42] assesses emotional and behavioral problems across 5 subscales (25 items) including hyperactivity/inattention; conduct problems; emotional symptoms, peer problems; and prosocial skills.

Data linkage to parent-report questionnaire (5 years);

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years);

Teacher questionnaire (7.5 years)

Self-regulation

Approaches to Learning Scale [47] (6 items) assesses children’s eagerness to learn, interest in a variety of things, creativity, persistence, concentration and responsibility, and is rated on a 4 point scale from ‘Never’ to ‘Very often’ or rated as ‘No opportunity to observe this behavior.’

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years);

Teacher questionnaire (7.5 years)

Soothability and Inhibitory Control subscales from the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire [48] (16 items) assesses children’s rate of recovery from peak distress, excitement, or general arousal, and their capacity to plan and to suppress inappropriate approach responses under instructions or in novel or uncertain situations.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Quality of life

The Child Health Utility 9D [36] assesses children’s health-related quality of life using 9 questions rated on a 5-point scale. This measure was developed for the use in cost utility analysis (i.e., economic evaluation).

Child assessment (7.5 years)

Physical health

Child global health [49] (1 item) is rated on a 5-point scale from 1 = ‘Excellent’ to 5 = ‘Poor’.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Child Health History (3 items) asks parents about hospital stays over past 12 months; current presence of 10 health problems, e.g., ‘wheezing or asthma’; ‘snoring or difficulty sleeping’; and whether ever diagnosed or treated for psychological disorder.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Use of health services (1 item) asks parents whether they have used specific health services for their child (e.g., family doctor; Pediatrician; psychological services; dentist), and the cost to the family per visit.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Parent-child interactions

The Sensitive Responding and Mutuality subscales of the Coding of Attachment-Related Parenting scheme [40] assesses attachment-related parenting behaviors rated on a 7-point Likert scale 1 = ‘No evidence’; 7 = ‘Pervasive/extreme evidence’.

Direct child assessment (7.5 years)

Parenting

Parenting warmth [49] (6 items) is rated on a 5-point scale, e.g., “Thinking about the last 6 months, how often do you… hug or hold your child?”

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Parenting irritability [49] (5 items) is rated on a 5-point scale, e.g., “Thinking about the last 4 weeks, how often have you… lost your temper with your child?”

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Parenting consistency [49] (5 items) is rated on a 5-point scale, e.g., “When you discipline this child, how often does he/she ignore the punishment?”

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Parent self-efficacy [49] (4 items) is rated on a 5-point scale, e.g., “How often do you think that this child’s behavior is more than you can handle”.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Global parenting self-efficacy [49] (1 item) is rated on a 5-point scale from 1 = “Not very good at being a parent” to 5 = “A very good parent”.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Home learning activities

Home activities with child (5 items) [47] is rated on a 4-point scale assessing parental engagement of child in home activities that stimulate development, e.g., “Read books to your child”.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Home Literacy Environment Scale (6 items) [50] is rated on various scales, e.g., “How many books does your child own?”

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Disorganization

Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (6 items) [51] is rated on a yes/no scale, e.g., “The atmosphere in our home is calm”.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Psychological distress

Kessler-6 (6 items) [52] rated on a 5-point scale, assesses emotional distress over the past four weeks, e.g., “About how often did you feel nervous?”

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Positive affect

Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Short Form (5 items) [53].

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Quality of life

The adult version of the Child Health Utility 9D [54].

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Demographics

Parent and child age, ethnicity, language spoken, education, income, employment status, family structure and size.

Parent questionnaire (7.5 years)

Characteristics of the child’s teacher, classroom and school, school culture, physical education, family engagement in school activities; child’s specialized services/needs, absenteeism.

Teacher questionnaire (7.5 years)

Contextual factors

Stressful life events (9 items) [55] over the past 12 months, e.g., “You became pregnant or had a baby; You moved house”.

Social support (1 item) is rated on a 4-point scale; 1 = ‘I get enough help’ to 3 = ‘I don’t get any help at all’, and − 1 = ‘I don’t need any help’.

Student Teacher Relationship

The Pianta Student Teacher Relationship Scale [54] assesses teacher’s perception of teacher-child interactions, including warmth, irritability, compliance, and communication (15 items).

Teacher questionnaire (7.5 years)