Every young child deserves the opportunity to access quality early learning programmes, as these early life experiences lay the foundation for their future success.
In South Africa, numerous challenges hinder young children from receiving high-quality learning. Among these are inadequate training and a lack of teaching skills for many ECD practitioners. Often, early learning programmes are run by well-meaning individuals who lack formal training and skills necessary to provide quality education for young children.
Innovation Edge (IE) has partnered with Instill Education to tackle the problem from the roots by empowering and upskilling ECD leaders and practitioners through Instill’s Early Edge Empowerment and EduMentor Programme. Using play-based learning and foundational literacy skills development training, the programme aims to enhance the learning experiences and outcomes of young children, thereby laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.
Instill’s EduMentor Journey
The 12-month programme is open to all South Africans teaching at an early learning centre who want to see change in ECD education and gain leadership and teaching skills in ECD. No formal qualifications are required to join the programme.
Initially, candidates complete an introductory module on Instill’s Upskill app, attend an introductory session, and complete an assessment before starting the “Train the Trainer” style EduMentor class.
During the training, participants learn to become trainers themselves through interactive and engaging activities that go beyond theoretical knowledge, focusing on practical, play-based applications. They learn to plan and deliver training and teaching skills in the classroom using the play-based method and the See It, Name It, Do It model by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo. This model involves demonstrating the skill, breaking it down into actionable steps, and providing opportunities for practice and feedback.
“We use play-based learning (games) because it is a well-known fact that children learn best through play and they enjoy playing. We train the participants how to use play when teaching science and mathematics to young children, for instance. We also introduce the participants to phonics, guided reading and other literacy activities through play.” – Pamela Mubviri, Instill Education
The participants are also trained on how to train other practitioners following the See it, Name it, Do it method, ensuring that skills are effectively transferred from one practitioner to the next. They also learn about the importance of using data within their classrooms, what type of data to collect in the early childhood space, and how to do so.
To make the training more effective EduMentor participants receive hands-on practice opportunities and feedback from the facilitators and their peers. This helps them to practice implementing developmental steps, and improve their confidence and competence in classroom instruction. They also receive ongoing support and resources through WhatsApp and other platforms, and have formed a community of practice for themselves through the WhatsApp group.
By the end of the training, participants should be able to plan and implement the skills they’ve learned in the classroom, teach learners using these skills, and train other practitioners effectively.
Practical Learning with the See It, Name It, Do It Model
Through the model, the participants learn various skills and get the opportunity to practice these skills to ensure they can effectively deliver them when teaching other practitioners and learners in their classrooms.
See It: Participants are given the chance to observe a model in action. For instance, they watch a video of a practitioner teaching mathematics through a game. This allows them to see how the skill is implemented and how learners respond.
Name It: The model is then broken down into three to four precise action steps, highlighting what the teacher needs to do to succeed in their play-based lesson. Participants learn the necessary steps and receive pointers from facilitators on what to do and avoid.
Do It: Participants are given steps on how to plan and implement the skills in their lessons. They then practice the steps, reflect on their implementation using a checklist, and receive feedback from facilitators and peers. This step ensures they can apply what they’ve learnt.
“What I found fascinating in the first cohort is that the participants come into the session uncomfortable, but during the session, they start to come out of their comfort zone. By the end, they are able to stand up and perform in front of others with ease. They realise it’s an opportunity to explore their own creativity, even bringing in indigenous games they played as children and exploring how to incorporate these into their lessons. They become comfortable with peer feedback and confident enough to deliver the lessons on their own.” – Venessa Geswindt, Instill Education
Early Wins of the EduMentor Programme
Instill’s EduMentor programme is just beginning, however the difference it is making is already evident. The first cohort of 12 qualified EduMentors from Gauteng and Western Cape are already implementing the skills learnt in the classroom, and recruiting and training other ECD practitioners. Since qualifying mid-May, they have recruited over 800 practitioners all together, working on this daily. They receive minimal incentives to help them run the training with the recruited practitioners. The Instill team assists them in their recruitment efforts, including logistics, resources and guide them on the business development aspects.
Here are some insights from some of the practitioners who attended the first training:
“I appreciate being in this EduMentor program. I have regained confidence in delivering whatever I need to. My teachers are also being developed as we practice on Professional Development sessions. Thank you for this course. It’s the best thing for MercyTots in 2024” – Sibusisiwe Ncube, MercyTots
“I’m thankful for the opportunity given to be a part of this ground-breaking programme. I’m looking forward to more growth and greater professional development.” – Mpho Mosia
Instill’s EduMentor programme also highlights the power of collaboration between the different role players in the ECD space.
“IE is showing us the importance of entrepreneurs coming on board to solve these problems. Without financial backing and support from organisations like IE, we can’t achieve our goals. We may have the knowledge, skills, and tools, but we lack the necessary funding. When organisations see the value in investing, it makes our work easier as we can partner with funders. I believe we share a common dream and vision with Innovation Edge. We all want the best for our children. By forging partnerships like this, we make it possible to transform education across the continent of Africa, one classroom at a time. As that number of practitioners grows, we change many classrooms and reach more children.” – Venessa Geswindt, Instill Education
The Instill team is targeting a total of 10 000 practitioners by the end of December 2024. So far, the trained EduMentors are from Gauteng and Western Cape, and they are looking to expand the reach through partnerships with districts and forums across the country.
“We are currently partnering with Ekurhuleni South District and we aim to train 5 000 ECD practitioners from the district in the next few months. We would like to partner with other districts across South Africa so that we can reach as many practitioners as possible, training them to be leaders and implementers of change. Let’s empower our educators going forward, together. When we empower and upskill a teacher we improve the learning experience of the learners.” – Kenneth Munetsi, Instill Education
Innovation Edge is dedicated to improving the early life experiences of South African children by partnering with innovative ventures like Instill and others. We support their initiatives to enhance young children’s outcomes and ultimately lay a foundation for their future success.
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Author: Dimpho Lephaila – Communications Associate at Innovation Edge