From comprehensive programmes to TED Talks and research papers, the area of Early Childhood Development (ECD) is well-covered. But one of the most powerful ways parents and caregivers can support a child’s development is also one of the simplest: read them a story. It’s something children naturally crave and something parents and caregivers often neglect.

In this edition, we’ll explore why well-meaning parents don’t always make time for storytelling, how we can shift those habits, and the impact this activity has on a child’s development.

Spotlight

In South Africa, June is Youth Month. The United Nations defines “youth” as the ages of 15 to 24 years, which spans the advanced stages of childhood and early stages of adulthood. Instead, we chose to focus on the ECD years, as it is so critical to everything that occurs later in children’s lives.

But what exactly does that mean? ECD covers the growth and development of children from birth to the start of school, typically up until age seven. Activities (or skills) like storytelling, role play and reading can, for example, help young children develop psychologically and cognitively in their early years.

The challenge is that far too few children are getting the chance to develop these skills early on, especially when it comes to reading. A lack of appropriate early childhood development and stimulation tends to show up in the early-school years. According to the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study , only 19% of Grade Four children in the country could make sense of what they were reading. While this is a complex, multi-faceted outcome, at least part of it can be attributed to a lack of good ECD services.

PIRLS, 2021

It’s not just up to schools and teachers to support a child’s development. Parents and caregivers have a huge impact, but sometimes their own habits, time constraints and thinking patterns get in the way.

Storytelling

It is human nature to prioritise immediate pressing needs or instant gratification over actions that involve the future. Present bias theory from Behavioural Economics explains this tendency to choose what feels easy or certain in the present over what could yield greater benefits at an uncertain future date. For example, even though a parent knows that daily reading is beneficial to a child, they might skip it after a long day because they’re tired. Since the benefits of reading aren’t immediate, it’s easier to put it off in the moment.

In a 2018 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers explored ways to reduce present bias and encourage parents to read to their children using tablets. A total of 169 parents participated in the ‘Parents and Children Together’ intervention. They were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group (85 parents) received a tablet with a digital library (over 500 books) and resources on child care, but no additional support; the treatment group (84 parents) received the same tablet and digital library and researchers tested three behavioural tools or interventions on them to increase reading engagement.

Mayer et al, 2018.

These interventions included:

Commitment: At the start of each week, parents in the treatment group set a specific reading goal, making a personal commitment to follow through.

Reminders: To help parents stay focused they received a daily text message on weekdays reminding them to work toward their goal of regularly reading to their children.

Social incentives: Parents who met their reading goals received congratulatory text messages. The parents with the highest reading time each week also got a public shout out, shared with the entire group.

The results, which were collected over a six-week period, showed that parents in the treatment group read 31.4 books while the control group read only 14.8. That’s almost one book per weekday for the treatment group versus just two or three books a week for the control group. Those in the treatment group also spent around 83 more minutes in total of reading than those in the control group. This example of caregiver-child intervention has shown potential for stimulating positive ECD to help prevent development delays. In their study, parents and caregivers with children aged three to five years old in Ghana were asked if in the last three days before the interview, they:   Mayer et al, 2018.

1. Read books or looked at picture books with the child
2. Told stories to the child
3. Sang songs to or with the child
4. Took the child outside the home
5. Played with the child
6. Named, counted, or drew things for or with the child

Around 6,752 children in the age group were analysed and researchers found that the children who were read to, told stories, or did activities like counting and drawing were more likely to be on track in their literacy and numeracy development. Researchers also found that the number of children’s books in the home made a difference. The more books there were, the better the child’s development. For example, children with one to two books at home were twice as likely to be on track and those with three or more books were almost three times as likely, compared to children with no books at all.

Showcase

In a study conducted at a South African orphanage, caregivers used simple storytelling techniques when working with the children, including asking questions to deepen understanding and improve memory recall.

But, one of the most notable findings was the caregivers’ perspectives on the language of the books they used to read to the children. Although they mostly read to the children in English due to limited resources, they emphasised the crucial need for storybooks in home languages like isiZulu, Sesotho and isiXhosa.

When African children read books featuring characters who look like them and reflect their experiences, it becomes easier for them to connect with the story. These kinds of narratives not only foster inclusivity but also help challenge harmful stereotypes.

A powerful example is Wanda, a book by award-winning author Sihle-isipho Nontshokweni-Bikitsha. It tells the story of a young girl with beautiful, curly hair who faces teasing at school. With the gentle guidance of her grandmother, Wanda learns to embrace her identity, find her voice and take pride in her roots.

Links we love

Freebies

• Telling your child a good story doesn’t have to cost you anything. The internet is full of free, high-quality tales and freechildrenstories.com is one great example. The site offers stories sorted by age and style, making it easy for parents and caregivers to find the perfect fit. Plus, they have a YouTube channel where stories come to life through narrations.
• Book Dash believes that every child should own 100 books by the age of five. To help make this happen, they focus on distributing African storybooks to preschool children. Their unique publishing model brings together teams of creatives to produce children’s books in just 12 hours. All books are also freely available online to read and download.

Science communication and storytelling

• Comic books blend bold visuals with storytelling to create a dynamic reading experience. Here are 10 African comics for children to explore, from Akissi, a spirited little girl fending off neighbourhood cats trying to steal her fish, to Kwezi, the story of an archaeologist with cerebral palsy who gains extraordinary superpowers.
• The Early Childhood Development Info Hub captures a snapshot of what ECD looks like in South Africa. According to the website, 34% of Early learning Programme Centres do not even have access to a playground and only 29% have access to age-appropriate books.
• In March 2023, the department of Basic Education released a plan for ECD in South Africa for 2030. It’s displayed as an infographic report, further enhancing the importance of playful and visual storytelling.