Longer reading
Longer reading
The journal’s essays in full, for an evening with time to spare. Each has a short version in the journal, and we’d start there.
Each of these essays started long. The journal now carries a version of each you can read in about five minutes, with the findings that matter most and something to try at bedtime. These are the full pieces: every study we followed up, the stories behind the famous quotes, and the places where the research is still argued over. Each one numbers its sources, so you can read the studies for yourself.
New to the journal? Start with the short versions, and come back here for the ones you want more of.
The essays in full
The long read
The science of starring
Babies pick out their own name at four and a half months. What that means for a book that stars your child, what studies found, and what they didn’t.
The long read
What reading aloud does
What reading aloud does for a child’s words and attention, from the Khayelitsha book-sharing trials to bedtime, dads and rereading, with tips by age.
The long read
Older than any book
One fairy tale may date back to the Bronze Age. What scholars have found, what Chesterton really said, and South Africa’s own old tales.
The long read
The octopus, the test and the hope
What PIRLS 2021 really found about South African children’s reading, the trials already making a difference, and the habits that go with stronger readers.
The long read
Many languages, one bedtime
Twelve official languages, a switch to English in Grade 4. Why learning in the home language first means better English, not worse, and what helps at home.
The long read
A gift that’s still loved in March
An economist said Christmas presents waste money. What psychologists have found since about price, surprise and sentiment, and what it means for a child.
Story for Me
A story that stars them.
A personalised picture book for ages 2 to 8, with your child as the hero and one real skill inside. From R249, and nothing to pay until you’ve seen the cover.