EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Meeting a child’s social, emotional, physical, cognitive and educational needs is essential to a child’s development.  The economic benefits of investing in children have been extensively documented. Investing fully in children today will ensure the well-being and productivity of future generations. By contrast, the physical, emotional and intellectual impairment that poverty inflicts on children can mean a lifetime of suffering and want – and a lasting legacy of poverty.

Early Childhood Development intervention, with babies and young children being exposed to appropriate early stimulation, is critical for providing the foundation for life-long learning and productive participation in life.

An Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre is a site where the holistic development of children from birth to five years is nurtured and developed by providing a safe environment and a sound education programme in partnership with educators, parents, community and government.

Masikhule’s ECD training courses have been developed over many years to offer ECD educators holistic, practical and stimulating content. Our uniqueness lies in the fact that our theme-based Early Learning Program has been overseen by a team of specialist Occupational Therapists and educationists with specific input to ensure learning and development is inclusive, remains focused on development through sensory- and perceptual-motor play and sensitive to the needs of all children.

Through focused training, mentorship plus monitoring and evaluation (M&E) our program has developed into a model that we believe will positively impact the growth and development of all pre-schoolers and should be available to all ECDs (and parents/caregivers).

“For children from disadvantaged backgrounds, timely and appropriate interventions can often reverse the effects of poverty and early deprivation and maximise the development of a child’s innate potential. One way of achieving this is by increasing access to good quality Early Childhood Development program. Pre-schools become the focal point and catalyst for wider community development and change.”

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