Only 6% of mothers in UAE read to their children aged 6-18 months, survey reveals

First Cohort of Shamsa bint Mohamed Al Nahyan Fellows Graduate today

Abu Dhabi, 20 May 2015: As the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation holds a Recognition Ceremony for participants in its Fellowship in Early Childhood Development today; the Fellows are busy implementing the projects they designed in recent months. A survey conducted as a part of a Fellowship project revealed that only 6% of mothers in Abu Dhabi read to their children under 18 months of age.

These were the findings of Dr. Maha Al Fahim, who, along with seven other professionals, will be honored for their successful completion of the Fellowship in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and the initiation of groundbreaking projects.

In its first phase, Dr. Al Fahim’s project ‘Reach Out & Read – Abu Dhabi’ aims to distribute 6000 books to parents visiting the Al Bateen Clinic in Abu Dhabi over the next year. The implementation is based on survey results revealing that 100% of mothers have a strong positive attitude and desire to improve the literacy and school preparedness of their children.

Distribution of the books will be according to age, with 80% of the books in Arabic and 20% in English.

Other projects include that of Ms. Alisha Nanji, in which she developed a handbook for parents on effective disciplinary practices, and the joint project of Drs. Aysha Al Kaabi and Salwa Al Kaabi in which they created a tool to help pediatricians detect early signs of developmental delay in children.

Each of the fellows, trained under Yale University’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy, will be displaying and discussing their projects at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi today evening.

“This inaugural group of Fellows has demonstrated a sincere commitment to enhancing and contributing positively to the field of Early Childhood Development,” said Sheikha Shamsa bint Mohammed Al Nahyan, leader and patron of the Foundation’s ECD Fellowship.

“Through their participation in intensive seminars, a study tour to the USA, and visits to high-performing schools and hospitals, the Fellows have obtained knowledge and skills essential to creating world-class programs and services for children and families across the United Arab Emirates,” she added.

The Fellowship is aimed at supporting the professional development of emerging leaders who work with or on behalf of young children in the UAE.  Attracting professionals from various disciplines—including but not limited to health, education, social sciences, child protection, and communications—the program promotes a multidisciplinary approach to serving young children and their families.