Across Ghana, thousands of children start formal schooling every year full of promise. Yet many struggle to master basic reading and numeracy skills in the early grades.

Six in ten Primary 4 pupils in Ghana perform below basic proficiency in mathematics and half fall short in English. Primary 4 pupils are students in the fourth year of primary school, usually about 10 years old.

As researchers studying what helps young children learn better in Ghana, we wanted to understand something that is often overlooked: the home. Our study sheds new light on the importance of the resources available at home, the involvement of caregivers and the type of family structure.

We found that young children do better in school when their caregivers take an active role in their learning, even in families with fewer resources. The findings suggest that improving school performance in low-income settings may not always require expensive investments.

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The early years are critical for children's development. Skills acquired during kindergarten and the first years of primary school form the foundation for future learning. Children who struggle during these years often find it difficult to catch up later.

Home is where learning starts

In low-income countries, education discussions often focus on school resources and teachers. Learning does not begin and end in the classroom, however. Research has shown that learning begins long before a child goes to school, and caregivers are children's first and most influential teachers.

Read more: Parents who believe their children can have a better future are more likely to read and play with them - South African study

The home environment, including what children do after school and how caregivers support learning, plays a critical role.

Caregivers don't always know what a difference they can make to their children's learning, though, particularly if they have limited education themselves.

Parental involvement in early education thus remains relatively limited in Ghana.

Home and school in Ghana

The study collected data from 3,742 children aged 4-8 years in Kindergarten 1 to Primary 1. Pupils were sampled from 62 public and private schools in the Greater Accra and Central regions.

We examined several home-related factors, including household resources (books, toys, information technology devices and so on), caregiver engagement (reading to children or helping with homework), and family structure (living with parents).

Children's academic performance was assessed using grade-specific workbooks aligned with the Ghana Education Service curriculum. We tested literacy, numeracy and reasoning skills appropriate for the three grade levels:

• simple matching activities, such as shapes, letters, animals, and picture halves (Kindergarten 1)
• matching, counting, identifying patterns, and selecting odd items (Kindergarten 2)
• matching, basic arithmetic, shape recognition, word formation, picture sequencing, identifying living and non-living things, and colour-by-number activities (Primary 1).

Not surprisingly, children from better-resourced households tended to perform better academically. Homes with books, toys or digital devices offer more opportunities for learning.

But what caregivers did at home significantly affected children's learning.

Children whose caregivers read with them or helped with homework scored 9% higher on tests than children whose caregivers were not engaged, after accounting for factors like age, grade, and home resources. These interactions with caregivers likely stimulate children and help them practice what they learn in school.

Children in first grade scored higher than children in kindergarten, and the differences by grade were even greater for pupils whose caregivers were actively involved in their learning.

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Reading with children was especially helpful in Kindergarten. Combining reading with helping with homework had the strongest positive association with performance in Primary 1.

Caregiver engagement partly explained why children from better-resourced households performed better. It also bridged the gap between resource-rich and resource-poor homes. This means that even in homes with limited resources, caregiver involvement can support learning.

Does family structure matter?

Children from single-parent households are sometimes expected to be disadvantaged in school. Our study, however, found no direct link between family structure and children's academic performance. Children in two-parent, single-parent, or other living arrangements performed similarly once home resources and caregiver engagement were considered.

In sub-Saharan Africa, extended family systems often play an important role in child-rearing. Grandparents, aunts and older siblings may all contribute to a child's learning, when a parent is absent.

Implications for policy and practice

Programmes aimed at improving early learning should not focus solely on schools. They should also provide practical guidance to caregivers on supporting children's learning at home.

Read more: Sharing picture books with kids can make them smarter and more attentive

Interventions do not need to be expensive. Encouraging caregivers to ensure a capable household member reads with children, talks about school, and monitors homework could have meaningful benefits.

Initiatives that empower families to be part of children's development have the potential to yield lasting benefits for children, schools and society.

Pearl S. Kyei, Senior lecturer, University of Ghana