What it measures
Dimension: Social and emotional competencies
This indicator reports the average amount of time Canadians spend engaged in talk-based activities with children. Talk-based activities include conversation, listening to children read or reading to children, playing with a child, helping with homework, and even reprimanding behaviour. The amount of time spent in talk-based childcare peaked in the mid-2000s, and has decreased by about 4% since then.
Why this matters
Time spent in talk-based activities with children is important for child development, specifically their cognitive, linguistic, and social development. Therefore, time spent interacting with children is a positive contributor to child development, future educational success, and the wellbeing of our society.