The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has joined hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to promote early childhood reading amid concerns about learning loss among kids during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project called "Free Books for Early Childhood Children" kicked off on Friday in the Kao Phatthana, Supsin Kao, and Phlub Phla communities of Wang Thonglang district. Deputy Bangkok governor Sanon Wangsangboon said the project aimed to keep early-childhood youngsters from learning loss due to Covid-19. Anyone up to six years old is targeted.
''We focus on reading because it promotes the development of the executive function of the brain. It will help them develop self-regulation skills including focus attention and cognitive skills,'' he said.
Yanee Ratborirak, acting director of the Office of Media System Promotion and Intellectual Health of ThaiHealth, said children's books are important for their learning skills and the perception of the world around them.
She said research by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) found that reading in early childhood had fallen due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
''Reading helps develop life-long learners among kids. Instead of leaving them with their mobile phone or online apps, which can retard language development, parents should help their kids by reading children's books for them,'' she said. ThaiHealth said reading will help kids develop their imagination, creativity and learning skills in speaking, listening and reading.
Reading also helps strengthen bonds between parents and their kids as they spend time together. With help from their family, reading can reduce children's pandemic learning loss that occurred due to their online classes, she added.
Sudjai Phromkerd, manager of the Thai Health Reading Project, said the "free books for children" policy could be a model for other cities.
Chumnan Sukheeket, leader of the Kao Phatthana Community, that his family had joined reading projects run by ThaiHealth before. They read books to kids during weekends. At first, few families joined the reading session but later more kids came to listen to tales and participated in activities.
He said with the BMA and ThaiHealth supporting the new project, he hoped more kids in his community will gain benefits from reading. Mr Chumnan also built a reading centre in the community, and soon hopes to offer a mobile library.