Children in sub-Saharan Africa are at the highest risk of developmental delays in the world, The Conversation reports on April 9.
Children have a lot to develop in their early years: socially, physically, emotionally and cognitively. But children in sub-Saharan Africa lag behind in developing many vital skills.
There are several reasons for this, including lack of stimulation. Many parents do not read, play with their young children, encourage them to learn, or provide learning aids such as books and toys. This may explain why the region has the lowest proportion of children who are developing well in literacy and numeracy.
Demographers examined the development of African children in sub-Saharan Africa and assessed how children in eight countries in West and Central Africa are faring in this regard. The countries included were the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Only about one in 10 children (11.9%) in our sample developed adequate literacy and numeracy skills. We also checked whether the children had spent any cognitively stimulating time during the previous three days with their parents. Here we focus on three activities that stimulate brain development: reading books or looking at picture books, telling stories or naming, counting or drawing objects. Less than half of the children in the sample did so.
The children in the study were three and four years old. The sample included 35,752 children from eight countries. The data was collected between 2017 and 2021 as part of the Multiple International Cluster Surveys (MICS). This global program collects nationally representative data on maternal and child health.
Early childhood literacy influences later reading comprehension and academic achievement. This makes learning especially important in a subregion where an estimated 89% cannot read or understand simple texts by age 10.
The main finding of the study is that cognitively stimulating activities with caregivers make a difference.
Educators need to be taught the importance of regularly engaging young children in activities. They need information and guidance.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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