About the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) – Phase 2 (2003-2010)

The relaunch of the QLSCD (2003-2010) has been made possible through funding by the ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (MSSS) (Ministry of Health and Social Services), the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, the ministère de la Famille (Ministry of Family) and the Institut de la statistique du Québec (the Institut). The overall goal remains the enhancement of our knowledge of child development. However, analyses of the data are now focused on understanding the factors that contribute to academic success in primary school, while taking into account children’s life experiences.

More than 1,500 children have been participating annually in the study, from kindergarten to second grade. During this period they also participated in two special data collections on psychomotor development and physical condition, in cooperation with Québec en forme (Québec in Shape). They are now being visited every two years, namely in fourth and sixth grade. The visits are conducted in the spring, March to June, before their school year ends.

From the very beginning, the QLSCD has used a variety of data collection instruments to gather information on the children and their families – computerized questionnaires, paper questionnaires, cognitive and psychometric activities. Since kindergarten, the children’s teachers have also been asked to respond to a questionnaire on various aspects of the participating children’s development and adjustment to school.

The data from the second phase of the QLSCD are the subject of numerous publications by the Direction des enquêtes longitudinales et sociales of the Institut de la statistique du Québec (the Institut). They cover, among other things, factors associated with vocabulary acquisition, school readiness and adjustment to the school environment, physical activity and health, help with homework, summer child care, excess weight in children, diverse and changing family structure, child care, sleep, motivation, peer victimization, and predicting academic achievement. QLSCD research findings are also published in international scientific journals (see Publications link).

QLSCD findings help better define the role of certain public programs and provide background for programs designed to foster the development of Québec children, who are the future of Québec.

Read the themes of the second phase (in French only).

Updated: December 14, 2012