Children Need Stories!

UNICEF REPORT:

CHILDREN DON'T HEAR ENOUGH STORIES!

By Stephen Wilson

 

MOSCOW  --  A recent UNICEF Study found that approximately 25% of children in developing countries don't hear the traditional bedtime story. In fact , many under five children don't get a preschool education at all! The survey, conducted in as many as

64 developing countries questioned parents whether they had spent time telling

stories, reading , singing , playing or drawing over a three-day period. What they

found was that since many parents were working such long hours for a pittance ;

they had practically little time to do justice to their child's education. The study

identifies long hours and poverty as major factors in retarding early child education.

Time and money constraints mean many parents are forced to concentrate on

feeding rather than playing with their children. Protecting children from hunger or

fatal disease remains the main priority. The constant threats of famine, war and

disease make storytelling sound like a luxury! Doctor Pia Britto, who is chief

of early childhood development at UNICEF claimed: "Time and money constraints

mean that parents are forced to focus on putting food on the table rather than playing

with their children , particularly in challenging circumstances where conflict, violence,

extreme poverty and disease are rife. " Those points are important to grasp. This is

because there prevails a short-sighted and myopic view which blames the parents

of poor people for depriving their children of education through either ignorance or

negligence. However, the report has found that the most decisive factors in determining

a child's growth can be many things beyond a parent's control such as poverty, war, famine

and the never ending long hours of parents just to get by!

The report describes storytelling as crucial for the cognitive, emotional and social

development of children . This finding would come as no great revelation to American

psychologist Susan Engel. In her work : The Stories Children Tell , 1999, W. H. Freedman

and Company , 1999, Engel wrote : 'The stories we tell ourselves , aloud, or silently,

play a vital role in shaping what we feel, think, and know about our lives.' The Russian

psychologist Alexander Luria largely echoed such sentiments.

However, it is not only in developing countries where children don't always hear bedtime stories!

Mairi Koroleva , a Russian linguist who ardently supports the project Storytelling Sessions,

told me: "I came across many of my own students who told me their parents had not

told them a single story once". Anna Kogteva, a teacher of English and also an organiser

of the project believes that storytelling is crucial to early childhood development. In her

sessions, she also combines drawing pictures with storytelling.

The report calls upon governments to offer more meaningful support to parents struggling

by providing better working conditions and time schedules for parents {i.e. More maternity

leave} They believe governments can do more and point to the example of Chile, where

the state project: 'Chile Grows with You ' managed to reach 80% of children with education

and health care. Britto argues that governments should not only ensure the survival of

children but significantly improve the quality of their lives in all facets of life. While fighting

famine, we should not overlook early education!