Maternal Education, Early Childhood Cognitive Stimulation, and School Readiness in Katsina State

This study examines the relationships among maternal education level, the quality of early childhood cognitive stimulation provided in the home, and school readiness among children entering primary school in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. School readiness, encompassing cognitive, language, social, and self-regulatory preparedness, predicts long-term academic trajectories and is significantly shaped by early home learning environments. Despite the theoretical and practical importance of this relationship, evidence specific to North West Nigerian rural and peri-urban populations remains scarce. The study employs a cross-sectional design, recruiting 280 mother-child dyads from three Local Government Areas in Katsina Metropolis. The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory, the Early Development Instrument, and the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (adapted for Nigerian pre-school children) were used as instruments. Data were analysed using path analysis and mediation testing. Results indicate that maternal education level significantly predicts cognitive stimulation quality in the home, which in turn fully mediates the relationship between maternal education and child school readiness across all five readiness domains assessed. Mother-child shared reading and structured play were the stimulation dimensions most strongly associated with language and cognitive readiness. These findings underscore the intergenerational transmission of educational advantage and the centrality of maternal literacy in early childhood development. The Katsina State Government is advised to expand adult literacy programmes targeting mothers of young children as a foundational school readiness intervention strategy. Keywords: maternal education, cognitive stimulation, school readiness, early childhood, Katsina State.