Seven Reasons Children Should First Learn to Read in their Home Language

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Children should learn to read in their home language first because it helps them develop a strong foundation for reading and learning other languages: 

  • Transferable skills: Reading skills developed in a child's first language can be applied to other languages. 

  • Cognitive development: Learning in a child's mother tongue helps build a strong foundation for cognitive development. 

  • Communication skills: Learning in a child's mother tongue improves communication skills. 

  • Emotional connection: Learning in a child's mother tongue helps children connect emotionally with their learning environment. 

  • Engagement: Learning in a child's mother tongue makes education more engaging and enjoyable. 

  • Dropout rates: Learning to read in a child's mother tongue helps reduce dropout rates. 

  • Performance in a second language: Children who learn to read in their mother tongue perform better in a second language. 

What other reasons can you think of? Please comment!

Sources:
Antonique Dick, "Why Children Should Learn in their Mother Tongue," Save Our Seas Foundation, February 21, 2024.
Maddie Matsoff,  "The Importance of Home Language Literacy," Read Naturally, October 6, 2022.
Oxfordshire County Council, "The Importance of Home Languages," accessed September 12, 2024.
Idhries Ahmad, "Learning in the Mother Tongue is the Best Start to Education," UNICEF India, February 21, 2024.
Andrew Ofosu-Dankyi, "The Importance of Learning to Read in My Mother Language," World Vision, February 16, 2017.
Jason Weaver, Alison Marie Grimsland, and Fatim Lahonri Diabagate, "Learning to Read in a Language Children Understand," September 19, 2023.