Akhila Damodaran
The Early Childhood Association (ECA) will be launching an initiative #eceforallchildren this month to ensure that learning continues for all young children, especially those who are dependent on anganwadis and balwadis, during the pandemic.
Dr. Swati Popat Vats, president, ECA, says the programme has been developed in regional languages to ensure maximum reach. “The programme is especially for those children who go to anganwadis or balwadis. Many anganwadis have been converted to quaratine centres and children are out of learning. As most families do have access to some kind of screen, at least a smartphone, they can access the live or recorded sessions in seven regional languages. If they do not have access to any device, we can help by donating the devices to them. Early childhood education is important as the foundation of language, social and emotional learning happens in the first five years of life, commonly referred to as the brain development years,” she says.
The ECA #eceforallchildren will include free sessions on Facebook and YouTube channels of ECA twice a week. The sessions will be one-hour long in each language – Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Kanada, Punjabi and Rajasthani. They will include rhymes, songs on various topics and stories that will help them understand feelings, hygiene, health, eating habits and more. The ECA is also reaching out to several NGOs that work for anganwadis and balwadis so that they can reach out to maximum children in different states.
The initiative include a session for teachers and parents every week in Hindi that will cover topics such as music and movement, puppetry, how to manage children’s behaviour and keep them engaged and how to make simple teaching aids for them. ECA is also willing to donate headsets and dongles to families who are in dire need and require support. The teachers will also be trained once every 15 days.
The sessions have been scheduled twice a week for different age groups.
3 to 4 years old: Monday-Wednesday
4 to 5 years old: Tuesday-Friday
5 to 6 years old: Thursday-Saturday
The initiative will be launched on July 15 on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of ECA. If you would like to volunteer to help the initiative reach more children in the community, you may write to ecapresidentindia@gmail.com. The Association is planning to expand its programmes in other languages.