This paper explores diverse pathways through early childhood in the context of Andhra Pradesh state, India. The particular focus is on experiences of pre-school and transitions to primary school. The paper is based on analysis of Young Lives survey data (n=1950) collected for a group of young children born at the beginning of the millennium, plus in-depth qualitative research with a small sub-sample (n=24).

This article looks at what observable characteristics influence a child being persistently stunted, moving from being stunted or moving into being stunted in middle childhood, between 7 and 12, using longitudinal data for Andhra Pradesh. It finds the key factors that help a child move out of being stunted are mother's education and coming from the more prosperous region of Coastal Andhra. In contrast, the key factors that pushed a child into being stunted were the child being a girl and being a younger sibling.

Caste-based discrimination has been a feature of Indian society for many centuries, and despite sustained efforts by the Indian government, caste-based inequity still  persists in socio-economic status, educational attainment and in health outcomes. A potential source of caste inequity, which is as yet unexplored, is in the differential development of cognitive skills during early childhood. These skills have been associated with performance in school and even with longer-term employment and wage outcomes.