Innovative program established to benefit ECD centres

With the start of the school year underway, the little ones will begin to attend their local Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres to learn songs and nursery rhymes, develop their language skills, build their social skills by playing with friends and much more.

While it is crucial for children to attend an ECD centre, it is also necessary for parents to play with their children to teach them various skills.

“Extensive research shows children learn best through play and that the first few years of a child’s life are the most critical in their development,” said Thandiwe McCloy, the marketing, media, advocacy and communications manager for HOPE Worldwide South Africa.

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McCloy said this is a time of rapid brain development that determines the future of a child’s ability to thrive and learn.

“You can strengthen your bond with your child and promote their learning through the power of play by engaging in enjoyable, everyday activities together. We call this responsive and playful parenting.

“Responsive parenting means parents are aware of their children’s emotional and physical needs and respond appropriately and consistently to them. This promotes a child’s healthy development in various ways,” added McCloy.

Playful parenting promotes learning, which can be as simple as having fun by teaching your child the colours while you do the laundry or running and skipping with them to keep them healthy.

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“Reading stories to your child, which teaches them vocabulary and communication skills, that will help them learn to read and write in primary school, teaching your child about different fruits and vegetables when you go shopping, helping your child name their feelings as they happen, playing games and drawing and colouring with them to improve their creativity and future writing.

“In SA, 66% of the most vulnerable children are not in early learning programmes (ELP). For children who do have access to an ELP, six out of 10 are falling behind.”

McCloy said many parents are unaware of the power of play and how they can help their children learn through it, so parents must act early to address this.

HOPE Worldwide South Africa has developed a programme to aid parents and caregivers in helping children learn through play.

“It is called the Caregiver Learning Through Play (CLTP) programme. Its implementing partners are Save the Children South Africa, Ntataise and Early Learning Resource Unit (ELRU).”

She said they assist thousands of parents across SA in promoting responsive and playful parenting and ensuring their children are not left behind once they reach primary school. The LEGO Foundation supports the programme.

“The programme offers parents and caregivers of children from birth to six years old useful tools, tips and ideas for learning through play.

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“These ideas and tools often include local traditions and customs to make learning enjoyable, relevant and techniques you can use immediately.

“By enrolling in the CLTP training programme, you will gain self-confidence and a better knowledge of different forms of play-based learning to help your child/children grow as healthy and strong as possible,” she added.

McCloy said the programme will give parents the skills to support their children and help them to have healthy bodies and brains, learn about themselves, express their emotions and develop their social skills.

The programme also teaches these skills to practitioners and teachers who work in ECD centres and with ECD programmes.

The programme focuses on interactive and fun ways to learn. It also strengthens the bond between the caregiver and the child and supports the child’s overall well-being, promoting the best brain development for young children.

According to McCloy, there is a free downloadable toolkit of easy-to-follow tips and tricks meant to help caregivers and their children connect and learn at home through play.

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The course has an instant downloadable certificate of completion if you have worked through the eight modules.
To complete a module will take about 30 minutes, including the entertaining activity you can do with your child.

“We encourage you to improve your skills as a caregiver by registering for and completing this free online course.”

To download the toolkit or register for the online training course, visit www.cltp.org

For the face-to-face training, email cltp@hopewwsa.org

Organisations wishing to partner in running CLTP are also welcome to get in touch.