Africa: Sharing Picture Books With Kids Can Make Them Smarter and More Attentive

Illiteracy is a global concern. Research suggests that 175 million young people, largely from poor countries and regions, lack basic literacy skills.

This has wide-ranging negative effects, both for individuals and society at large. Illiteracy has been shown to contribute to poor health. A World Literacy Foundation study estimated that illiteracy costs the global economy more than $1 trillion a year through lost job opportunities.

But our research suggests that there is one simple way to equip your children for a life of literacy from their infancy: share picture books with them