There is a substantial body of evidence that many children in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills and are not adequately prepared for a smooth transition from pre-primary to primary education. Improvements to pre-primary education are needed, in which play-based methodologies are proven effective at fostering fundamental learning skills, including creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. A model that can support such improvements is the “child-to-child approach”, an education model in which children build knowledge and skills as they relate and interact with one another. It has been effectively implemented in several countries such as Uganda, Yemen, and Pakistan to prepare children for a smooth transition from pre-primary to primary school.
The primary objective of this project is to enhance school readiness and smooth transition to early primary grades by using the child-to-child approach, and study how to scale the impact of such an approach in different cultural contexts. The project will focus on children who are at risk whether it is because of special learning needs, socio-economic factors, or other risk factors that limited their access or quality of preparedness for primary school. It will carry out a pre- and post-test of the implementation of this approach using a child assessment tool, surveys, interviews, and observations. The project will develop a training package with teaching and learning tools and implementation guidelines that are contextually valid and relevant for scaling impact in addition to research reports, policy briefs, conference presentations, and journal articles on the subject. The expected outcome of the project is improved practices in preschools that are play-based and inclusive that result in desired foundational skills and school readiness among children.
This project will be implemented in Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan by a consortium led by the Islamic University of Maldives in partnership with University of Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Aga Khan University in Pakistan.
