Overview

• Researchers matched parent-reported early screen use to Ontario EQAO results in grade 3 reading and math and grade 6 math.
• Associations were strongest for younger children, with a smaller or limited effect reported for writing achievement.
• TV and general digital media were consistently tied to lower scores for boys and girls, and video game use was linked to lower grade 3 results for girls, though few girls were reported to play.
• Because exposure was parent-reported and the design is observational, the findings cannot establish a causal relationship.
• Coverage cited roughly a 9–10% lower likelihood of higher performance per additional daily hour of early screen time, and the team plans follow-up work on content, context, and co-developed screen-use interventions.