Covid-19 school closures negatively impacted elementary-school students' reading comprehension and reading fluency skills.

In Brazil, schools remained closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for approximately two years. In this study, we investigated how COVID-19 school closures were associated with gaps and losses in Brazilian students' reading skills. We contrasted the reading comprehension and fluency of 2nd- to 4th-graders in 2022 with a 2019 cohort. Furthermore, we investigated how 2022 5th graders' reading comprehension and fluency skills have improved since 2019. Overall, results showed that COVID-19 school closures were associated with gaps but not losses in reading comprehension and fluency. Therefore, these skills should be targets of educational interventions.

Pre-pandemic support for shared reading buffers adverse parenting impacts: an RCT in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: To examine whether (1) a parent-child reading program (Universidade do Bebê [UBB]), conducted in Brazil pre-pandemic can support parenting and parent-child reading 6 months into the pandemic, (2) cognitive stimulation at pandemic onset mediates effects of UBB on these outcomes, and (3) UBB pre-pandemic buffers associations between COVID-19-related distress and parenting/parent-child reading 6 months into the pandemic. METHODS: 400 women, either pregnant or with children 0-24 months, were randomized to UBB (n = 200) or control groups. UBB consisted of monthly parent workshops focusing on parent-child reading and a book-lending library. Assessments pre-pandemic (June-2019) and at pandemic onset (April-2020) included cognitive stimulation. Assessments 6 months into the pandemic (October-2020) included COVID-19 exposure/impact/distress, as well as parenting and parent-child reading. RESULTS: 133 families (n = 69 UBB) contributed data 6 months into the pandemic. Participation in UBB pre-pandemic was associated with parent-child reading but not parenting 6 months into the pandemic. Indirect effects of UBB through cognitive stimulation at pandemic onset were observed for both outcomes. Increased COVID-19-related distress was significantly associated with reduced parenting/parent-child reading 6 months into the pandemic in the control group only. CONCLUSION: Promotion of cognitive stimulation pre-pandemic may have reduced risk for effects of the pandemic on parenting/parent-child reading. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial has been registered with the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry RBR-29RZDH on 05/28/2018. IMPACT: This is the first study showing sustained impacts of a reading aloud intervention beginning in pregnancy and early infancy implemented pre-pandemic. Findings suggest that participation in a reading-aloud intervention buffered associations between COVID-19 distress and parenting/parent-child reading 6 months into the pandemic. Novel empirical evidence suggests that promotion of cognitive stimulation prior to the pandemic may buffer its impacts on parenting and parent-child book reading following onset in low- and middle-income countries. Findings provide important new support for implementation of parent-child reading aloud programs and likely have implications for early childhood development beyond the COVID-19 pandemic for disasters generally.

Supporting Reading Aloud Beginning Prenatally and in Early Infancy: A Randomized Trial in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: A previous study of a reading aloud intervention in Brazil, called Universidade do Bebê (UBB), demonstrated impacts on parenting and child outcomes for families with toddlers and preschoolers, even for parents with low literacy, and cognitive stimulation mediated effects on child outcomes. In a new study, we sought to determine whether similar results would be found when UBB was provided beginning in pregnancy through early toddlerhood, including (1) impacts on parenting and child development, (2) variation in impact on parenting and child outcomes by parent literacy level, and (3) indirect impacts on child outcomes through cognitive stimulation. METHOD: Women with low income who were either pregnant or with children aged 0 to 24 months were randomized to UBB or control groups. UBB consisted of monthly workshops focused on reading aloud complemented by a book-lending library. Participants were evaluated at baseline and approximately 11 months later (M = 11.0, SD = 0.4; range 9.9-12.2 months) on parenting (cognitive stimulation, beliefs about early reading, screen time, and discipline) and child development. RESULTS: Four hundred families (n = 200 UBB) were randomized; 286 (71.5%; n = 150 UBB) received 11-month follow-up. UBB families showed increased cognitive stimulation (Cohen's d = 0.92) and awareness about the importance of early reading ( d = 0.90) than controls, with no differences by parent literacy level. UBB was associated with reduced screen time and increased vocabulary, but only for families with low parent literacy. UBB effects on child outcomes were mediated by cognitive stimulation. CONCLUSION: The findings support implementation of reading aloud programs beginning in pregnancy and early childhood.