Resources for Early Years

It’s sincerely encouraging to have received responses to my first newsletter! Thanks to those who connected. To know that other professionals are keen to impact the trajectory of young learners in sub-Saharan Africa is inspiring.

I know.. It sounds like a mega task. However, at this point my aim is to raise awareness and align with like-minded professionals. I’m building a tribe of concerned global citizens.

In this edition of the Impact the Child Newsletter there are two areas to consider. Firstly, showcasing preschools in Sub-Saharan Africa and also considering the benefits of a resource vault.

Do you Own a Preschool?

In terms of highlighting awareness, one thing I plan to do within the ITC Newsletter is to showcase existing early childhood centres/preschools/nursery schools in sub-Saharan Africa.

If YOU own a preschool in Sub-Saharan Africa and if you are interested in being interviewed for 30 minutes over Zoom please send a message or email - [email protected] . During the session you will have the opportunity to tell me more about your setting - chosen curriculum, how and when you started, the number of families that you serve, success stories and challenges. Showcasing preschools in this way will provide a grass-roots level view and continue the conversation around finding solutions. I believe that any long-term solutions will be organic and culturally specific.?

Resource Vault

At this early stage, I plan to start a resource vault. Compiling easy-to-access data that will be a source for quick wins when it comes to improving practice, up-skilling educators and even influencing parents of preschoolers. I recognise that so many people in sub-Saharan Africa may not have access to the internet, but one has to start somewhere, which is why I am asking educators from the continent that do have such access, to hop on board. It’s all about having a concerted effort to solve problems.

Resources for December 2022

There is low hanging fruit available when it comes to highlighting best practices in early childhood education and development! These resources are useful for early years educators (includes parents), anywhere in the world.?This month there are two resources.

1. Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child.?

Title - ‘Brain-Building Through Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers and Children’. It’s a small treasure trove of free downloadable handouts with suggested activities for children from six months to three years of age.

Data from the website:?

"From infancy on, play is an important part of a child’s life. For babies and toddlers, simple, playful interactions with adults help develop sturdy brain architecture, the foundations of lifelong health, and the building blocks of resilience. Through games and playful activities, children can practice and strengthen important executive function skills that will help them throughout their lives, including learning to focus their attention, strengthening their working memory, and developing basic self-control.?

The following handout series, developed with support from the LEGO Foundation, provides suggestions for games and play-based activities based on a child’s age. The activities for younger children are designed for adults to engage in with children. Activities for later ages allow the adults to step back, enabling children’s independence to blossom as they transition to playing more often with peers".

Link - https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/brainbuildingthroughplay/?

2. Teaching at the Right Level

I found this resource interesting because it is a model that is being replicated in Zambia. Originally pioneered by Indian NGO Pratham, it targets the root of the learning crisis by transforming the structures that lead to it. The approach works by dividing children not quite at the full range of early childhood education, but I believe it can be adapted. It generally focuses on children in Grades 3 to 5 and places them? into groups based on learning needs rather than age or grade; dedicating time to basic skills rather than focusing solely on the curriculum; and regularly assessing student performance, rather than relying only on end-of-year examinations.?

This may not be the right approach for your setting, however, I’d say it is worth looking at. I’d love to hear your feedback either way.

Link ?- https://www.teachingattherightlevel.org?

YouTube Links - https://youtu.be/BFStAkyrLVY? | https://youtu.be/xe0hwbC78xo?

Join Impact the Child

The invitation stands - if you’d like to join me in my quest to impact children in sub-Saharan Africa please sign up here -?Sign Up to Subscribe

Request -? I’d welcome ideas from experienced professionals for finding an online home for the resource vault. Perhaps at some stage it could become a handbook! All professional early childhood ‘hands’ on deck!

Compliments of the season, if you are celebrating and I look forward to hearing from you.

In service of young learners…

Patricia Mezu | M.A.Ed., AMI Montessori Dipl. | [email protected]

P.S. the next ITC Newsletter will be sent in the New Year.