What parent doesn’t want their child to be able to read or count quickly? Even during early childhood, many parents enroll their children on a tutoring course to learn how to read and count straightaway. Some people may view this phenomenon as something that is normalized. Especially when parents gather and share stories about the progress of their children’s reading and counting abilities, they are even more eager to try to have their children’s abilities exceed their friends’ or neighbors’ children. However, is this the correct way to raise our children?

This normalized phenomenon does not show long term success in children, and instead, it is a shortcut with detrimental consequences. Results of several surveys and studies related to literacy and numeracy in Indonesia shows that comprehension abilities and skills in reading and mathematics in children are still low. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey from 2012 to 2015, the PISA score for reading rose only 1 point from 396 to 397. Indonesian children’s understanding and skills in using reading materials, especially text documents, are in the bottom ten.

Literacy and numeracy skills need to be prepared from an early age, especially before the children enter further education at the age of 5 or 6 years. This ability will help children be ready to go to school during the transition from Early Childhood Education (PAUD) to Elementary School. Based on many studies, including UNICEF, school readiness is determined by three interrelated dimensions: child readiness, school readiness, and family or parent readiness. Then, what is the role of parents in supporting their children’s readiness for school, especially in their literacy and numeracy skills?

Here are some tips summarized from studies on children’s school readiness:

1. Holistic preparation.

Although children’s school readiness focuses on children before entering elementary school, parents should prepare children before birth. This process could be done by ensuring the fetus is developing correctly, providing enough nutrition through mother’s milk, providing early stimulation, affection and other essential needs that support the holistic development of children. Healthy and happy children will have the optimal brain development to help their cognitive abilities in later life.

2. Internal family support.

Many families think that nurturing, caring for, and raising children is a task for mothers only. Even though fathers or fatherly figures (grandfathers, siblings, uncles) also plays a vital role. The results of a study show that fathers’ involvement in early childhood development can improve children’s language, cognitive, academic achievement, and social, emotional competence in their future.

3. Creating a learning environment at home.

Families and parents could regularly be involved in children’s learning activities at home in fun ways such as singing, reading books, making stories, playing games, especially those related to letters and numbers according to the stages of child development.

4. Responsive parenting.

Parents who are responsive to the child’s needs and give sufficient attention will help increase the child’s vocabulary, enthusiasm, and perseverance in learning. So, reduce your screen time with gadgets at home and take more time to give attention to your children’s learning needs.

That concludes all the tips we can share right now. Hopefully, these tips can help parents prepare their children to enter elementary school, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many young children are learning more at home. Here’s to a better future for our children!

Author : Nugroho Indera Warman
Education Specialist at UNICEF Indonesia