Can Nudging Parents Improve Early Literacy Outcomes? A Multinational Field Experiment in Kenya and Nigeria

This field experimental study will test whether home-based support can promote early literacy skills in Nigeria and Kenya. We will randomly assign schools serving Kindergarten students to test the efficacy of sending home weekly postcards, designed using principals of behavioral science, containing short, age-appropriate and context-relevant content that parents will be prompted to use for practicing early literacy with their children at home. A subset of families will receive a “booster” text-message encouraging them to continue providing academic support. Results will inform cost-effective and scalable approaches to supporting the development of core early literacy skills in developing contexts.