EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN AGES 4-6: SUCCESSES & CHALLENGES

Early childhood education is linked to improved school achievement, lower repetition rates, increased likelihood of graduation and eventually higher productivity in adulthood. However, most children in Rwanda, like many other developing countries, are not currently accessing early
childhood development (ECD) or pre-primary services and support. Even when ECD services are available, often not enough emphasis is given to early literacy and maths (ELM) skills development, which is crucial in order for children to attain the necessary school readiness skills.
This includes support by parents or other caregivers at home, as well as the form of teaching and learning taking place in classrooms. In response, Save the Children targeted its ECD programming for children ages 4-6 to focus on training parents on simple activities they can do with their children at home, and working with teachers and the government to improve the way children are taught in ECD centres or pre-primary classrooms.