{"id":326,"date":"2018-06-04T13:55:55","date_gmt":"2018-06-04T12:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/?p=326"},"modified":"2025-03-25T15:41:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T15:41:46","slug":"supporting-parenting-to-promote-early-child-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/supporting-parenting-to-promote-early-child-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting parenting to promote early child development"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Some of a child\u2019s most valuable learning takes place before they go to school. Indeed, school \u2018preparedness\u2019 strongly predicts how well a child will fare in school. Professor Peter Cooper and Professor Lynne Murray have developed a programme to train parents from disadvantaged backgrounds in how to share picture books with their pre-school age children to support their child\u2019s development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Their research in South Africa has shown that children whose mothers had received the training showed marked improvements in language, attention, empathy and social understanding. The programme is now being adopted worldwide and the team have developed a version for pre-school teachers and cr\u00e8che workers.<\/p>\n

In order to disseminate their work, Professors Cooper and Murray set up a charity, the Mikhulu Trust, which trains staff of local government agencies and NGOs to deliver the programme in local communities. From deprived inner cities in the UK to remote villages in the mountains of Lesotho, book-sharing has attracted global attention and is even finding a valued role in supporting refugee communities in Sicily and Greece.
\nThe World Health Organization has adopted the programme into their Parenting for Lifelong Health initiative, of parenting programmes for low-resource settings. Professors Cooper and Murray are currently working with colleagues across nine countries who are collaborating\u00a0 \u00a0on local book-sharing initiatives to support pre-school learning, leading to an ever-growing, worldwide community, with the University of Reading at its hub.<\/p>\n

Partners:\u00a0<\/strong>The Mikhulu Trust, South Africa and over 20 international non-profit organisations (such as Save the Children, South Africa), several government bodies (e.g. the Municipal Government of Pelotas, Brazil), and universities in the UK and five other countries. For further information and an up-to-date list of partners, please visit the\u00a0Mikhulu Trust website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Judges\u2019 comments:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA great example of research that makes a real difference in people\u2019s lives \u2013 and scaling up a successful project with new partners in new locations\u201d [25 words]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Shortlisted for the University Research Engagement and Impact Awards 2018<\/p>\n

First published: June 2018<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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