Early Learning in the Home.
Every child benefits from daily brain-building interactions with a caring adult right from birth.
What is the problem?
Many caregivers are unaware of, and/or unable to use the powerful learning opportunities in everyday interactions with their young child at home. They often assume that a child can only start learning when they begin primary school.
Why does it matter?
Children’s early learning foundational skills are developed through everyday moments – telling stories, reading books, having back-and-forth conversations (even before a child can speak) and playing together. The quality of early learning activities at home is a key predictor of a child’s early brain development and future success. Positive learning experiences can have lasting and life-changing impacts which are linked to school attainment and career.
What is the opportunity?
If caregivers are motivated and have relevant knowledge, capacity and opportunity to engage in foundational learning activities with their children, they (children) will be better cognitively prepared for formal schooling and beyond.
We invest in innovative solutions that equip caregivers with the knowledge, and that enable and provide them with opportunities to engage in high-quality early learning activities with their children at home from a young age.
Are you a social entrepreneur and have creative ideas on how to act on opportunities or solve early learning problems at home? Below are some enabling ingredients for daily early learning interactions which we hope will help to guide you. Each contains opportunities for innovation and investment.
We have a year-round open call for applications for funding and support for ideas that meet our investment criteria.
Empowered caregivers
- Caregivers need to know about the importance of early learning and that there are many opportunities in a daily routine that can be used for learning at home.
- Caregivers need to have the opportunity, ability (time, knowledge, tools and prompts) and networks of support for early learning interactions to happen.
- They also need to know that it is important to read, tell stories, and talk in their home language using a wide range of vocabulary and full sentences with their child.
- Caregivers with children who have special needs require more support and information on how best to enable their child’s early learning.
Access to resources and tools
- Caregivers need access to affordable resources and tools that make it easy for them to have early learning interactions with their child at home.
- They also need to know that there are many free resources available to them in their everyday environments that can be used in early learning activities.
