The International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) is a method of measuring early development in children at a pre-primary school level. It was developed for Save the Children between 2011 and 2015. [1]
Cognitive, socio-emotional and physical development during early childhood is crucial to the child's ability to achieve their potential, and to the social and economic health of society as a whole. However, poverty, stunting and lack of intellectual stimulus in low- and middle-income countries damage early development of almost half of all children aged 3 to 4, which will affect them through their lives. One of the main reasons is lack of access to early childhood education programs, particularly for poor, rural families. [2]
Existing tools for ECCD measurement had mostly been used in high-income countries, and were hard to adapt to poorer countries. Often they were costly, and many had limitations such as measuring only one skill or age group, or relying on reports from parents or teachers rather than direct measurement. [3]
Before IDELA was developed there were no tools for measuring early Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in low and middle income country that balanced the needs for consistency across different countries, ease of use and psychometric rigor. IDELA was to be a feasible, holistic, rigorous, open source instrument that ccould easily be adapted to different societies. It would support continuous program improvement across the many field sites of Save the Children and their partners, increase accountability among ECCD initiatives, and provide data about ECCD outcomes that governments and agencies could use to identify and scale up successful ECCD programs. [4]
Development of IDELA began in 2011 based on four early childhood development domains, drawn from existing standards for early childhood education: physical, language/literacy, numeracy/cognitive and social-emotional. Over 65 items were considered at first, but these were reduced to 33 during qualitative review. Between 2013 and 2015 data was collected from 11 sites in different countries. Although there were limitations to the approach, results show that IDELA is a practical and rigorous method of measuring learning and development before children begin their primary schooling. [5]
Children from 42 to 78 months old can be assessed in about 30 minutes. A trained assessor sits with the child, follows a scripted protocol for each test and observes the child's response. After six of the most challenging tests, and after the child interview, the assessor records whether the child was persistent, motivated and attentive in trying to complete the task. Materials needed are a pencil, blank paper, small items for counting (such as beans or buttons), nine picture cards related to eight items on the assessment, and a storybook that contains pictures and text. [6]
Skills assessed are:
Domain | Skills |
---|---|
Gross and Fine Motor Development |
|
Emergent Literacy and Language |
|
Emergent Numeracy |
|
Socio-emotional Development |
|
A 2019 study of IDELA results in Afghanistan, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Vietnam confirmed that IDELA was useful for evaluating programs and monitoring progress within a country, but found it did not give a valid basis for comparison between countries. [7] A study published in 2021 used data from Ghana to test how well IDELA predicted future skills in reading, as measured by the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), and in mathematics as measured by the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA). Results showed strong correlation, with scores in the Emergent Literacy domain a strong predictor of EGRA scores, and the scores in the Emergent Numeracy domain a strong predictor for EGMA scores. [8]
Literacy is the ability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was understood solely as alphabetical literacy ; and the period after 1950, when literacy slowly began to be considered as a wider concept and process, including the social and cultural aspects of reading and writing and functional literacy.
A child (pl. children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, in this case as a person younger than the local age of majority, regardless of their physical, mental and sexual development as biological adults. Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities than adults. They are generally classed as unable to make serious decisions.
Numeracy is the ability to understand, reason with, and apply simple numerical concepts. The charity National Numeracy states: "Numeracy means understanding how mathematics is used in the real world and being able to apply it to make the best possible decisions...It's as much about thinking and reasoning as about 'doing sums'". Basic numeracy skills consist of comprehending fundamental arithmetical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, if one can understand simple mathematical equations such as 2 + 2 = 4, then one would be considered to possess at least basic numeric knowledge. Substantial aspects of numeracy also include number sense, operation sense, computation, measurement, geometry, probability and statistics. A numerically literate person can manage and respond to the mathematical demands of life.
Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is up to the equivalent of third grade. ECE is described as an important period in child development.
This is an index of education articles.
Pre-kindergarten is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece. It may be delivered through a preschool or within a reception year in elementary school. Pre-kindergartens play an important role in early childhood education. They have existed in the US since 1922, normally run by private organizations. The U.S. Head Start program, the country's first federally funded pre-kindergarten program, was founded in 1967. This attempts to prepare children to succeed in school.
The assessment of basic language and learning skills is an educational tool used frequently with applied behavior analysis (ABA) to measure the basic linguistic and functional skills of an individual with developmental delays or disabilities.
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of sight or touch.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a series of tests focused on basic skills that are administered to Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. These standardised tests assess students' reading, writing, language and numeracy and are administered by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). The National Assessment Program is overseen by the Education Ministers Meeting.
Emergent literacy is a term that is used to explain a child's knowledge of reading and writing skills before they learn how to read and write words. It signals a belief that, in literate society, young children—even one- and two-year-olds—are in the process of becoming literate. Through the support of parents, caregivers, and educators, a child can successfully progress from emergent to conventional reading.
A late talker is a toddler experiencing late language emergence (LLE), which can also be an early or secondary sign of an autism spectrum disorder, or other developmental disorders, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, learning disability, social communication disorder, or specific language impairment. Lack of language development, comprehension skills, and challenges with literacy skills are potential risks as late talkers age. Outlook for late talkers with or without intervention is generally favorable. Toddlers have a high probability of catching up to typical toddlers if early language interventions are put in place. Language interventions include general language stimulation, focused language stimulation and milieu teaching.
Curricula in early childhood care and education (ECCE) or early childhood curriculum address the role and importance of curricula in the education of young children, and is the driving force behind any ECCE programme. It is ‘an integral part of the engine that, together with the energy and motivation of staff, provides the momentum that makes programmes live’. It follows therefore that the quality of a programme is greatly influenced by the quality of its curriculum. In early childhood, these may be programmes for children or parents, including health and nutrition interventions and prenatal programmes, as well as centre-based programmes for children.
Kindergarten readiness refers to the developmental domains that contribute to children's ability to adapt to the kindergarten classroom, which is often a new and unfamiliar environment. There is no single agreed upon definition of Kindergarten readiness. The domains often included in the definition comprise: academic skills, social-emotional development, and physical development. In addition to these competencies, the child's environment and opportunities for learning should also be considered. This includes the child's home environment and their interactions with teachers and peers.
Social emotional development represents a specific domain of child development. It is a gradual, integrative process through which children acquire the capacity to understand, experience, express, and manage emotions and to develop meaningful relationships with others. As such, social emotional development encompasses a large range of skills and constructs, including, but not limited to: self-awareness, joint attention, play, theory of mind, self-esteem, emotion regulation, friendships, and identity development.
Laura M. Justice is a language scientist and expert on interventions to promote children's literacy. She is the EHE Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology at Ohio State University, where she also serves as the Executive Director of the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 is about quality education and is among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in September 2015. The full title of SDG 4 is "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all".
Early childhood education in the United States relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight. The education services are delivered via preschools and kindergartens.
Cassandra Cybele Raver is an American developmental psychologist currently serving as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Vanderbilt University. She previously served as Deputy Provost at New York University and Professor of Applied Psychology in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU.
Marianne O'Grady is an American teacher and Afghanistan's deputy country director for Care International who said that the Taliban "cannot un-educate millions of people" in the fall of Kabul (2021) and anticipated that women would continue to teach other women and girls, even if forced back "behind the wall".
The learning crisis or global learning crisis is a term describing the fact that, despite a large increase in access to schooling, learning outcomes remain poor, especially in developing countries. Worldwide, millions of children who attend school do not acquire basic skills such as literacy and numeracy, and many more are far behind age-appropriate expectations in their national curricula. Proponents argue that this crisis needs to be addressed due to the importance of education in fostering children's development, social mobility, and subsequent opportunities.