THE EFFECTIVENESS OF QUALITY

INTERVENTIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

SETTINGS

Dr Lauren StretchEarly Inspiration, South Africa

‘In every child who is born, under no

matter what circumstances, and of no

matter what parents, the potentiality

of the human race is born again.’ –

James Agee

James Agee

• Neuroscience suggests that the stimulation &

education that we provide to children directly

impacts their brain’s function, size and ability.

 

QUALITY EARLY STIMULATION

5 days 2 months 1 year 28 years

PET Scans suggest rapid early development[N Halfon, UCLA Centre for Healthier Children]

Children who encounter good nutrition and

stimulation in the early years are less likely to

suffer from illness, struggle adapting to the school

environment, repeat grades, drop out of school or

need remedial and special attention.

• Neuronal pathways wither and die (http://www.childtrauma.org/c tamaterials/neuros~ 1.asp, 14/06/09)

• A gap in the child’s knowledge and ability to

cope with life takes root (Starkey and Klein (Ed. Saracho & Spodek, 2008: p270)

• High levels of school drop-out rates (Brierley, 1994: p6).

• High percentage of under-age and under-

prepared learners have proven to be the

most at risk in terms of school failure (Kostelnik, Soderman

& Whiren, 2004: p7).

EFFECTS OF A LACK OF STIMULATION

MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO

INVEST

AGE IN YEARS1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718

BRAIN GROWTH

PUBLIC SPENDING

100

80

60

40

20

0

PERCENT OF TOTAL BRAIN

GROWTH

INCREASING PERCENT OF PUBLIC SPENDING ON CHILDREN FROM

0 - 18

[N Halfon, UCLA Centre for Healthier Children]

100

80

60

40

20

0

SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE…

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SPENDING

ARE NOT SYNCHRONIZED

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

40% of the young children in

South Africa are exposed to

harsh living conditions,

neglect and a lack of

stimulation. [Education White Paper 5, 2001:2]

Children in Harsh Con-ditions

Children in good con-ditions

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

In 2008 SA Government identified ECD as a National Apex

Priority to be advanced through the INTENSIFICATION of the

Expanded Public Works Programme. ECD Audit commits to: • Acknowledging ECD

• Noting the role of the parents

• Recognizing the first 1000 days

• Noting the lack of access & quality of ECD Services

• Affirming the role of Civil Society

• Recognizing the need to improve qualifications of and conditions of service

for ECD Practitioners

• Acknowledging the need for the development of an ECD Curriculum for

children from birth to 4 years

• Taking cognizance that ECD Services are not adequately resourced

(ECD Audit Report, 2014)

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

* The vision *

According to the Millennium Development Goals

for South Africa, by 2015, ‘children everywhere,

boys and girls alike, will be able to complete

a full course of primary schooling.’

Primary schooling includes Grades 1 – 7, and

refers to children between the ages of 7 and 13

years.

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

* The reality *

35% of children that start school in Grade 1 have

dropped out before they turn 11 years.

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

* The reality *

35% of children that start school in Grade 1 have

dropped out before they turn 11 years.

Children that have dropped out be-fore turning 11

Children in Harsh Living Conditions

Children that are not at-risk

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

A HARSH REALITY

There are 6, 145 000 children living in South Africa

under the age of 5 years.

40% of the children = 2, 458 000 are AT RISK

35% of the children = 2, 150 750 will drop out of

school before they turn 11

SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION

2, 458 000 children

2, 150 750 have

dropped out

before they

turn 11

2, 150 750 children

2, 150 750

children

It is clear that something needs to change, something needs to be done.

It is urgent

CHALLENGES FACED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

SITES IN SOUTH AFRICA• ECD Centres are seen as babysitting services

• Ill-equipped teachers – latest ECD Audit

Report: ½ of SA’s Grade R teachers are

unqualified or underqualified

• Parent have a poor understanding of the

importance of ECD & lack support

• Inadequate resources

• Not enough access for children with Special

Needs

PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH

The purpose of this study was to develop and

field-test an instrument which supports

practitioners working with children in the early

childhood.

The instrument, which is a practitioner-training

programme, devotes attention to challenging

problem solving & critical thinking skills,

empowering practitioners to manage

managerial processes, while instilling

knowledge, skills, practice, values and

attitudes

RESEARCH DESIGN

• Quantitative study

• PRE-TEST: 850 children (4 ½ to 6 years old)

• INTERVENTION: 18 teachers underwent teacher

intervention & support for 8 months

• POST-TEST: one-on-one assessments of the

same children

POST-ASSESSMENT RESULTS

Physical-Motor Social-Emotional Language & Speech

Cognitive Visual Perception Total Child0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Experimental Group

Control Group

Physical-Motor

Social-Emotional

Language & Speech

Cognitive Visual Perceptio

n

Total Child

Experimental 76 70 73 68 64 70%

Control 56 50 48 41 32 45%

RESULTS

Control Experimental

Pre-Test Post Test Pre-Test Post-Test

Average 37.18% 44.27% 43.93% 71.18%

Increase by

7% 27%

Children in the experimental group, whose teachers’ were trained, overall averages increased by 27% between pre-and post-testing while the Control Group (whose teachers did not

receive training), children’s average score increased by 7% between pre- and post-tests.

IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT

CURRENT PROJECTS AS A RESULT

• Longitudinal Study: 2015 – 2025 in Rural South

African Communities

• Pregnancy Package, Principal Support

Programme

• Collaboration with Nelson Mandela

Metropolitan University – holistic interventions

(psych, education, diatetics, information

technology, biokinetics)

CHILREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

‘If a child lives with criticism – he learns to condemn

If a child lives with hostility – he learns to fight

If a child lives with ridicule – he learns to be shy

If a child lives with shame – he learns to feel guilty

If a child lives with tolerance – he learns to be patient

If a child lives with encouragement – he learns to be confident

If a child lives with praise – he learns to appreciate

If a child lives with fairness – he learns to be just

If a child lives with security – he learns to have faith

If a child lives with approval – he learns to like himself

If a child lives with friendship – he learns to find love

If a child lives with acceptance – he learns to be himself’

-Dorothy Law Nolte-