Early Childhood Reading in Rural China and Obstacles to Caregiver Investment in Young Children: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Rui Li, Nathan Rose, Yi Ming Zheng, Yunwei Chen, Sean Sylvia, Henry Wilson-Smith, Alexis Medina, Sarah-Eve Dill and Scott Rozelle
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Rui Li: Rural Education Action Program (REAP), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Nathan Rose: Rural Education Action Program (REAP), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Yi Ming Zheng: Rural Education Action Program (REAP), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Yunwei Chen: Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Henry Wilson-Smith: Rural Education Action Program (REAP), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Alexis Medina: Rural Education Action Program (REAP), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Sarah-Eve Dill: Rural Education Action Program (REAP), Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-27

Abstract: Studies have shown that nearly half of rural toddlers in China have cognitive delays due to an absence of stimulating parenting practices, such as early childhood reading, during the critical first three years of life. However, few studies have examined the reasons behind these low levels of stimulating parenting, and no studies have sought to identify the factors that limit caregivers from providing effective early childhood reading practices (EECRP). This mixed-methods study investigates the perceptions, prevalence, and correlates of EECRP in rural China, as well as associations with child cognitive development. We use quantitative survey results from 1748 caregiver–child dyads across 100 rural villages/townships in northwestern China and field observation and interview data with 60 caregivers from these same sites. The quantitative results show significantly low rates of EECRP despite positive perceptions of early reading and positive associations between EECRP and cognitive development. The qualitative results suggest that low rates of EECRP in rural China are not due to the inability to access books, financial or time constraints, or the absence of aspirations. Rather, the low rate of book ownership and absence of reading to young children is driven by the insufficient and inaccurate knowledge of EECRP among caregivers, which leads to their delayed, misinformed reading decisions with their young children, ultimately contributing to developmental delays.

Keywords: early childhood development; stimulating parenting practices; effective early childhood reading practices; rural China; mixed methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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