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

Ebubedike, Margaret; Akyeampong, Kwame; Addae-Kyeremeh, Eric; Doka, Jane; Boateng, Felicia and Dery, Portia (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. The Open University, Milton Keynes.

Abstract

The Power of Parents (POP) research project examines how parents and caregivers can strengthen children’s literacy development, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where barriers like poverty and low parental literacy create significant challenges. Conducted in two phases, the study first reviewed existing research to understand how parents, caregivers, and communities contribute to children’s learning and identify effective practices. The second phase involved co-creative workshops with parents and caregivers in Ghana and Nigeria, exploring cultural activities such as storytelling and traditional games that can inspire children’s interest in reading. The research highlights the crucial role parents and community networks play in literacy development, the potential of local practices to enhance learning, and the challenges families face in engaging with schools, alongside ways to overcome them. It underscores the transformative power of parents and caregivers in fostering literacy when their knowledge, experiences and cultural practices are fully recognised and integrated.

Plain Language Summary

The Power of Parents (POP) project looks at how parents and caregivers can help children learn to read, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where challenges like poverty and low literacy make this difficult. The research had two parts: first, it reviewed studies on how families and communities support children’s learning. Then, it worked directly with parents in Ghana and Nigeria through workshops to explore storytelling and traditional games as ways to spark children’s interest in reading. The study shows that parents and communities are key to children’s literacy, local traditions can help learning, and families need better support to connect with schools. It highlights that when parents' knowledge and cultural practices are valued, they can play a powerful role in their children's education.

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