{"id":43725,"date":"2025-04-22T12:26:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T10:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/?p=43725"},"modified":"2025-04-22T12:26:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T10:26:26","slug":"a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"A Nation That Can\u2019t Read Can\u2019t Succeed: Why Early Childhood Development is Key to Fixing SA\u2019s Literacy Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Every year, thousands of children enter formal schooling without the foundational literacy skills needed for success. <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/IQyJCElQ2khA4Q7QHBC7c7oAkB?domain=worldliteracyfoundation.org\">Research<\/a> from the World Literacy Foundation shows that children who lack early literacy skills are more likely to fall behind and face long-term educational challenges. Despite government\u2019s recognition of early childhood development (ECD) as crucial to reversing South Africa&#8217;s literacy crisis, meaningful action has <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/J1Y3CGZK2mTy3V7VtYFpcBK_0l?domain=youtube.com\">admittedly<\/a> been delayed by three decades.<\/p>\n<p>Although the seventh administration has reaffirmed its focus on early childhood literacy, these commitments remain largely unfulfilled due to lack of funding. \u201cOperating a compliant ECD programme costs nearly five times the per-learner subsidy, leaving many centres without sufficient resources,\u201d explains Deb Zelezniak, CEO of the <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/kMEJCJZX2pT497J7CkHjcyP7IQ?domain=santashoebox.org.za\">Santa Shoebox Project.<\/a> \u201cCurrently, <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/8Y6PCKOE2qSA7jojHQIVc5gy6u?domain=datadrive2030.co.za\">61%<\/a> of ECD centres have fewer than 10 books for children, and only 56% provide age-appropriate reading materials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lack of access to books extends beyond ECD centres, with over <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/E--iCLgB2rhoBJWJfASVcyvs9Z?domain=unicef.org\">40%<\/a> of South African households having no books at all. According to the Department of Basic Education and UNICEF South Africa, this means many children enter Grade 1 without ever having held a book.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-43730\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/sven-brandsma-93s6ATWRwm0-unsplash-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/aoFMCMjB2vcoBQrQf9T5c80lYn?domain=treasury.gov.za\">R99 million<\/a> allocated over the MTEF for early grade reading initiatives is a step in the right direction, we need immediate action. The urgency of South Africa\u2019s literacy crisis cannot be overstated,\u201d stresses Zelezniak.<\/p>\n<p>In response, non-profits like the Santa Shoebox Project are stepping in to bridge the gap by installing reading corners in ECD centres, providing children with the essential resources they need to develop literacy skills. These spaces are filled with age-appropriate books where children can engage with stories on their own or with a caregiver. To date, the organisation has installed over 220 reading corners in facilities around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Caregivers are also trained on how to incorporate books into the learning experience in ways that support early childhood development milestones. Between the ages of <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/EnHjCNx12wInk2W2h7UPcyAfcz?domain=ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\">two and five<\/a>, for example, these include pointing to objects in a book, turning pages independently, and beginning to grasp basic grammar concepts. Ultimately, these are the <a href=\"https:\/\/url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com\/s\/YiCGCO792xFP1686CpcxcGZ0GY?domain=raisingchildren.net.au\">building blocks<\/a> that help children read, write, communicate, and connect with others &#8211; giving them a strong start at school and setting the stage for lifelong learning.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year, thousands of children enter formal schooling without the foundational literacy skills needed for success. Research from the World Literacy Foundation shows that children who lack early literacy skills are more likely to fall behind and face long-term educational challenges. Despite government\u2019s recognition of early childhood development (ECD) as crucial to reversing South Africa&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":43729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[11441],"class_list":{"0":"post-43725","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sponsored","8":"tag-world-literacy-foundation"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Nation That Can\u2019t Read Can\u2019t Succeed: Why Early Childhood Development is Key to Fixing SA\u2019s Literacy Crisis - Get it Highway &amp; Berea<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Nation That Can\u2019t Read Can\u2019t Succeed: Why Early Childhood Development is Key to Fixing SA\u2019s Literacy Crisis - Get it Highway &amp; Berea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Every year, thousands of children enter formal schooling without the foundational literacy skills needed for success. Research from the World Literacy Foundation shows that children who lack early literacy skills are more likely to fall behind and face long-term educational challenges. Despite government\u2019s recognition of early childhood development (ECD) as crucial to reversing South Africa&#8217;s [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Get it Highway &amp; Berea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-22T10:26:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/stephen-andrews-u0zTce7KNlY-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/#\/schema\/person\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda\"},\"headline\":\"A Nation That Can\u2019t Read Can\u2019t Succeed: Why Early Childhood Development is Key to Fixing SA\u2019s Literacy Crisis\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-22T10:26:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/\"},\"wordCount\":383,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/04\/stephen-andrews-u0zTce7KNlY-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"World Literacy Foundation\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sponsored\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2025\/04\/22\/a-nation-that-cant-read-cant-succeed-why-early-childhood-development-is-key-to-fixing-sas-literacy-crisis\/\",\"name\":\"A Nation That Can\u2019t Read Can\u2019t Succeed: Why Early Childhood Development is Key to Fixing SA\u2019s Literacy Crisis - Get it Highway &amp; 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