The power of parents

This research is providing evidence that can inform initiatives targeting parents and caregivers in poor rural environments on what works to support young children’s literacy and language acquisition skills.

The following are objectives underpinning our project:

• Conduct extensive review and analysis of the role of parents and caregivers in supporting the literacy of children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Identify and compile a comprehensive database of existing initiatives of parents/caregivers supporting children’s language and literacy skills outside of school and their effectiveness.
• Provide a comprehensive overview of key academic actors, including research centers and researchers, as well as practitioners such as NGOs, funders, and other entities involved in parent and caregiver engagement programs for language development and literacy acquisition in West Africa.
• Support wider research-impact through knowledge-exchange, by providing a detailed account of both the approach taken and the learnings drawn from these examples.

The research questions to be examined are:

• What quality and quantity of evidence exists on parental and caregiver engagement programs to deliver improvements in language development and literacy acquisition of children aged 3-10 outside school?
• What is the level of effectiveness of government policy and other funders activities in implementing parent and caregiver engagement programs?
• What is the role of parents, caregivers, and their community networks in supporting the literacy and language development of children aged 3-10?
• What activities can / do parents do, that have been shown to spark children’s interest in reading and, in turn, their literacy acquisition?

The key findings are:

• Parents, including extended family members, regardless of their educational backgrounds, play a significant role in supporting children's literacy development by bridging formal education and practical learning within the home and community.
• Parents and caregivers, including extended family members, utilise local practices such as games, storytelling, songs and participation in cultural events to support learning, foster moral values, social skills and cognitive abilities, expanding vocabulary and improving comprehension.
• The diverse languages spoken at home and in familial environments enhance children's literacy development by broadening their vocabulary and improving adaptability to various linguistic and social contexts, with home languages serving as a bridge to better grasp classroom learning.
• Parents lack awareness and confidence of how their cultural practices and lived experiences can enhance literacy. However, targeted workshops with parents can help them see the educational benefits of their own cultural practices and local activities.

These are explored further in:

• Research Brief - Power of Parents: Exploring the potential role of parents and caregivers in strengthening literacy & language development for children ages 3-12 in Sub-Saharan Africa - Multisite case-study in Nigeria and Ghana.
• Extended Literature Review - Ebubedike, M., Akyeampong, K., Addae-Kyeremeh, E., Doka, J., Boateng, F., and Dery, P. (2024). Power of Parents: Exploring the potential role of parents and caregivers in strengthening language development and literacy acquisition for children ages 3-12 in Sub-Saharan Africa, An Extended Literature Review. Mc2h foundation.
• Research Report - Ebubedike, M., Akyeampong, K., Addae-Kyeremeh, E., Doka, J., Boateng, F., and Dery, P. (2024). Power of Parents: Exploring the potential role of parents and caregivers in strengthening language development and literacy acquisition for children ages 3-12 in Sub-Saharan Africa, Multisite case-study from Nigeria and Ghana. Mc2h foundation.