Unlocking the Benefits of Early Childhood Development Courses for Parents and Educators!As parents and educators, we all want to give our children the best possible start in life.And one of the most powerful ways to do that is through early childhood development courses!These programs offer a wealth of information and skills for everyone involved in a child's upbringing -from teachers and caregivers to moms and dads.So if you're looking for ways to boost your knowledge, engage with other like-minded individuals, or just gain some fresh ideas about how to support young minds, then read on!In this post, we'll explore some of the fantastic benefits that come with taking early childhood development courses.Get ready to unlock your potential as an educator or parent -and help shape a brighter future for our little ones!What are the benefits of early childhood development courses for parents and educators?
BACKGROUND: In 2017, about 20% of the world's children under 1 year of age with incomplete DPT vaccination lived in Nigeria. Fully-immunised child coverage (FIC), which is the percentage of children aged 12-23 months who received all doses of routine infant vaccines in their first year of life in Nigeria is low. We explored the associations between child, household, community and health system level factors and FIC, in particular focussing on urban formal and slum, and rural residence, using representative Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) data from 2003, 2008 and 2013. METHOD: Multilevel logistic regression models were applied for quantitative analyses of NDHS 2003, 2008 and 2013 data, singly, pooled overall and stratified by rural/urban, and within urban by formal and slum. We also quantify Population Attributable Risk (PAR) of FIC. RESULTS: FIC for rural, urban formal and slum rose from 7.4, 25.6 and 24.9% respectively in 2003 to 15.8, 45.5 and 38.5% in 2013, and varied across sociodemographics. In pooled NDHS analysis, overall and stratified, final FIC adjusted odds (aOR) were: 1. Total population - delivery place (health facility vs home, aOR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.73-1.73), maternal education (higher vs no education, aOR = 3.92, 95% CI = 1.79-8.59) and place of residence (urban vs rural, aOR = 1.69, 95% CI = 0.89-3.22). 2. Rural, urban formal and slum stratified: A.Rural - delivery place (aOR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.12-1.94), maternal education (aOR = 4.99, 95% CI = 2.48-10.06). B.Urban formal - delivery place (aOR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.43-4.79), maternal education level (aOR = 9.18, 95% CI = 3.05-27.64). C.Slums - delivery place (aOR = 5.39, 95% CI = 2.18-13.33), maternal education (aOR = 5.03, 95% CI = 1.52-16.65). The PAR revealed the highest percentage point increase in FIC would be achieved in all places of residence by maternal higher education: rural-38.15, urban formal-22.88 and slum 23.76, while non-attendance of antenatal care was estimated to lead to the largest reduction in FIC. CONCLUSION: Although low FIC in rural areas may be largely due to lack of health facilities and immunisation education, the intra-urban disparity is mostly unexplained, and requires further qualitative and interventional research. We show the FIC point increase that can be achieved if specific sociodemographic variable (risk) are addressed in the various communities, thus informing prioritisation of interventions.
There is a growing interest in the teaching of science in early childhood development (ECD) classrooms the world over. This has led to some countries crafting and implementing policies that ensure the teaching of science process skills. This study explored the teaching of science process skills in ECD classrooms of Zimbabwe through an interpretive multiple case study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, lesson observations, still photographs and field notes from four purposively selected ECD teachers. Findings show that the participants had knowledge of science process skills namely, communication, observation, measuring, comparing, classifying, predicting and inferring. The study found that science process skills were best taught using child-centred approaches such as explorations, play, experiments and guided discovery because such methodology encourages an active participation of learners. Effective teaching of science process skills in prepared science environments lays a foundation of acquiring scientific knowledge, content and skills in young learners. The study concluded that participants' knowledge and experience of teaching science process skills afforded them a strong foundation for developing science skills in ECD learners. Hence, there is a need for parents and school administrators to support teachers through resource mobilisation, provision and allocation. The study recommends the ECD teachers to teach science process skills as a way of perpetuating the nation's goal of introducing STEM subjects in ECD classes.
Programming in early childhood has become increasingly academic, with less consideration for whole-child development. This new emphasis has influenced not only pre-k programs, but also programs serving toddlers and infants. As a result of this focus on academic skills, children from birth to five years old are spending more time in sedentary, academically focused activities and less time in meaningful play and physical activity. Children are no longer afforded the time and opportunity to participate in the robust play activities that are one of the essential elements in whole-child development. This literature review focuses on research that advocates for physical activity opportunities for children. The research demonstrates the positive impact that physical activity has on brain development, executive function, overall well-being, and school readiness in the crucial development period of early childhood.
BACKGROUND: Every year, immunization prevents about 4-5 million child fatalities from vaccine preventable morbidities. Conversely, in Ethiopia, achieving full coverage of vaccination has continued to be challenging. Socio-demographic, caregivers and child related factors determine vaccination coverage. Therefore, this study aimed to find out recent coverage, trends in coverage, and its predictors in eastern Ethiopia. METHODS: A population-based longitudinal study design was conducted among 14,246 children aged 12-24 months from 2017 to 2021 in Kersa Health and Demographic Surveillance System site (KHDSS). The data were collected from caregivers of the child by face to face interview. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of vaccination. The association between vaccination coverage and its predictors was presented by adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. A p-value of <0.05 was used to establish statistical significance. RESULTS: From the 14,198 included children, only 39% of children were fully vaccinated, with highest proportion in 2020 (45%) and lowest proportion in 2019 (32%). In comparison to fully vaccinated, being partially vaccinated was positively associated with older maternal age, rural residence, unemployment, rich wealth index, no antenatal care, facility delivery, and birth order whereas negatively associated with semi-urban residence. In compared to fully vaccinated, being not vaccinated was positively associated with older maternal age, rural residence, maternal education, unemployment, and no antenatal care whereas negatively associated with semi-urban residence, poor wealth index, multipara, grand multipara, and facility delivery. CONCLUSION: Less than two-fifths of children aged 12 to 24 months were fully vaccinated. Socio-demographic factors and maternity care utilization were found to be predictors of vaccination coverage. Therefore, strategies that emphasize women's empowerment in terms of education, economy, and employment status, and enhancing maternal healthcare utilization may improve vaccination coverage.
The role of parents in early childhood development is a crucial factor in the process of child growth and development. In the context of limited face-to-face learning, this research will discuss the extent of parents' responsibilities in accompanying children to learn, as well as the urgency of parents' role in children's development from a developmental psychology perspective. The research method used is qualitative with analysis referring to trusted literature such as journals, books and other references. The research results show that parental responsibility and the strategies implemented by them are the main keys in dealing with psychological aspects of child development. Parental involvement during the learning period has a significant impact on child development. The factors that influence it involve internal and external elements in the child's environment.
In 1983, the Indonesian government established Pos Pelayanan Terpadu (Integrated Health Post) – commonly known as Posyandu, an outreach programme for improving mothers’ and children’s health, including immunisation. However, child immunisation coverage is still far below national and world targets. There is also wide variation among regions, with low rates found in areas outside Java. This study aimed to explore mothers’ experiences in immunising their children through Posyandu in East Nusa Tenggara, and West Sumatera, two provinces located outside Java Island. Fifty-three mothers were involved in six Focus Group Discussion (FGDs). The discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim in the original language. The transcripts were translated into English, coded with Nvivo, and analysed for common themes. This study showed that the success of the immunisation programme through Posyandu relied on the role of community-based health workers. Their ability to integrate with the community increased people’s trust. This trust encouraged mothers to immunise their children, despite their limited knowledge about immunisation. The other barrier often encountered by the mothers in immunising their children was that the fathers did not allow them to do so. Therefore, collaborative work with the whole community is needed to improve the performance of an outreach programme.
Anna Wahyuni Widayanti, Pauline Norris, James Green et al.
This review looks at the available evidence on disability inclusion in early childhood development and education in humanitarian settings. It found that little evidence and guidance is available relating specifically to the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education in humanitarian settings and there is a lack of extensive provision. However, some guidance exists and the review presents a number of case studies of disability inclusion in early childhood development and education in humanitarian settings.
Early childhood development has been valued by the government and policy makers in China, but the current intervention system is not yet complete. This paper hopes to discover how to establish a coordinated and comprehensive intervention network on the basis of previous research. On the one hand, it can provide future scholars with research ideas in this regard, and on the other hand, it can also provide policy-makers with policy-making ideas. In this regard,this paper did a literature review, mainly searching for related articles on Google Scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and reviewed 20 articles.The government, the community, and the family each play an important role in the development of early childhood.However, their limitation is that there is no joint government, family, and community tripartite governance.
BACKGROUND: Full immunisation of children by their first birthday is a crucial public health target. Vaccines protect children from preventable diseases, promoting individual and community health. In Sierra Leone, a country with a history of high childhood mortality rates, achieving full immunisation coverage is a critical step towards a healthier future. This study examined the trends and inequalities in full immunisation coverage among children aged one year in Sierra Leone from 2008 to 2019. METHODS: Three rounds of the Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey (2008, 2013, and 2019) were analysed. A descriptive approach was adopted for the analysis. Simple [difference (D) and ratio (R)] and complex [population attributable risk (PAR) and population attributable fraction (PAF)] measures of inequalities were computed using the World Health Organization's Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (WHO's HEAT) software. The measures were computed separately for each of the three surveys, and their estimates were compared. RESULTS: The findings revealed that full immunisation coverage for one-year-olds in Sierra Leone increased significantly between 2008 (40.1%) and 2013 (68.3%). However, there was a decrease in coverage in 2019 (56.5%). Region-related inequalities were the largest and increased slightly between 2008 (D = 13.8; R = 1.4; PAF = 17.8, PAR = 7.1) and 2013 (D = 20.7.; R = 1.3; PAF = 14.2, PAR = 9.7) but decreased in 2019 (D = 18.2; R = 1.3; PAF = 15.3, PAR = 8.6). Substantial education-related inequalities were observed in 2008 (D = 10.1, R = 1.2, PAF = 19.4, PAR = 7.7), but this decreased in 2013 (D = 6.7, R = 1.1, PAF = 8.0, PAR = 5.4; and 2019 D = 5.0, R = 1.0, PAF = 4.7, PAR = 2.4). The age and sex of the child appeared to have minimal influence on the overall inequality in immunisation coverage. CONCLUSION: The study highlights education and region as key contributors to the inequalities. Mothers with lower education were less likely to get their children fully immunised. Immunisation coverage varies significantly across regions, with the Eastern region leading and the Northern region lagging. Age and sex have minimal impact. The government and partner organisations in Sierra Leone should focus outreach programs on these high-risk groups, implement geographically targeted strategies and invest in education and improve access to healthcare facilities. Ensuring vaccine availability, trained personnel, and data collection for monitoring could be useful. There is also the need to develop targeted interventions for regions with lower coverage. These steps are crucial to achieving universal immunisation coverage. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration was not necessary since we analysed a secondary dataset.
Augustus Osborne, Camilla Bangura, Umaru Sesay et al.
