GROW Educare | Growing young readers

Early childhood development and reading go hand in hand when it comes to children’s future success in school, work and life.  While most children learn to read by the age of seven, the earlier years are critical to their development.

That’s why MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet has pledged to set up classroom reading corners in a number of GROW Educare Centres, including its 10 sponsored centres.

Reading is at the heart of all formal education, and is crucial to a child’s early brain development.  Yet for nearly 4.2 million South African children aged 0-6 years, growing up in a low-income household directly impacts their chance of success in later life. With no access to preschool or early child education, these children miss out on vital interaction, play and stimulation as they grow up.

By setting up high-quality ECD centres in disadvantaged and developing communities across the country, GROW provides quality education for young children, and a professional and sustainable business for educators.

Through the use of GROW’s Early Learning in a Box, which provides education equipment, training and mentoring, children graduating from the GROW Educare Centres at age five are significantly more prepared for school than children from the same socio-economic background who did not attend an ECD centre.

With these new reading corners, children will be able to enhance their concentration and develop their imagination and language skills.