Early Childhood Development
Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres are excellent vehicles to ensure vulnerable children are being educated, whether they live in a rural or urban setting, or in a residential care facility or at home. Quality, developmentally-appropriate preschool education has proved to be instrumental in empowering and equipping young children to learn and develop successfully.
It also makes entering the formal schooling system less stressful and daunting. Educational programmes offered at Cotlands’ ECD centres aim to develop the young child holistically, by offering theme based learning programmes.
Children work individually and in small and large groups. Learning takes place through play, inside and outside of the classroom, with ample opportunity to discover and experiment throughout the day. The learning programmes for Grade R (4-6 year olds) are guided by the National Curriculum Statements and for the age group 0 – 4 years, the National Early Learning Development Standards are used. There are Cotlands ECD centres in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Western Cape.
The aim of our ECD programme is to provide educational services that develops children holistically and minimise developmental delays.
- Determine admissions criteria.
- Develop a learning programme that develops children from 2 to 6 years holistically and includes activities for intellectual, emotional, physical, social and spiritual development.
- Compile a year plan which indicates themes/concepts to be covered for the year.
- Establish a balanced daily programme that includes opportunities for children to work individually or in small or larger groups when implementing the learning programme.
- Establish the assessment and reporting procedure on children’s development.
- List in-service training topics for staff development.
- Develop a strategy to positively manage children’s behaviour.
- Set up administrative systems.
- Create opportunities for primary caregivers to become involved in the management of the programme (e.g. parent committee).
Active Learning Toy Libraries
“An Active Learning Toy Library (toy library) is a community service that provides children, their families, community caregivers and ECD practitioners access to a collection of play materials or toys. The main focus is education and development of the young child and stakeholders that are involved in the life of a child.” (ALL-SA, 2003).
Many factors within the child and his or her environment impact on development, and in South Africa, the environment is often particularly detrimental. The children Cotlands serve live in communities characterised by high incidences of HIV/AIDS, poverty and unemployment, inadequate housing and illiteracy. In addition, children living in rural areas have limited access to quality Early Childhood Development centres.
Active Learning Libraries are a cost effective non-centre based model that provides children with opportunities to play and learn. It also provides opportunities for parents, caregivers, community caregivers and ECD practitioners to access to a variety of play materials and training on child development.
Cotlands aims to support every child’s right to play. Children visiting the toy library will have the opportunity to play alone, with a caregiver or with each other. Children will attend sessions with their caregivers on specific days, and given the opportunity to use the room to engage in activities specifically targeted at empowering caregivers with knowledge on child development and stimulation. These sessions will also incorporate a toy making component so that toys can be taken home or to the ECD centre, in an effort to make our intervention sustainable.
In addition toys will be made available to ECD practitioners to take and use in their ECD Centres. Homebased carers who visit children to monitor ARV compliance are using the toys during their home visits to enhance children’s development.
