According to data collected in 2019 by Stats SA, 50% of children in South Africa have never read a book with their parents.
The 2019 TIMMS report released in December 2020, showed South Africa as ranking among the worst in the world of the countries surveyed in both mathematics and science – we ranked 3rd worst actually.
Proficiency in language and literacy boosts a child’s ability to learn any subject, and navigate through the learning material independently, guided by their natural curiosity.
The TIMMS report further demonstrated higher success in homes where parents were more actively involved in stimulating their children academically during early childhood development.
The formative years are the most important for healthy development of the whole child, as is confirmed by a 20-year study by Jamaican Nobel laureate James Heckman, Paul Gertler and colleagues. This study observed a group of children from infancy through to adulthood, and noted that those who experienced early stimulation interventions in their first 1000 days increased their future earnings by 25 percent – equivalent to adults who grew up in wealthier households.
So buy a book. Read to (and with) your child. Ask questions. Listen to their answers. Challenge their thinking. Laugh with them. And give them the head start in life that they deserve.