Summary of a webinar in which organisations presented case studies on how play-based learning is integrated into ECD practitioner training interventions, parenting programmes or at grass-roots level. Panellists and participants discussed different approaches and shared lessons learned.
Use Case:
Play-based learning is generally recognised as critical to early learning and development in children. The views and approaches shared on principles and pedagogies, as well as lessons learned through programme implementation, will be useful to all those involved in programme design and delivery in the sector. Practitioners and ECCE students can also draw on the resource.
Source and Date:
Collaborative seminar hosted by BRIDGE and the LEGO Foundation, 2022.
Describes good practice elements needed in parenting programmes. It outlines 4 core areas of parental support: Programmes (e.g. principles, common topics, successful delivery models), Research and M&E, State Support Systems and Centralised Information and Resources.
Use Case:
This resource is useful to any organisation working with parents/ caregivers of young children, with the intention of offering parenting programmes. It offers good practice tips and describes some of the challenges that need to be taken into account when designing and delivering parent support programmes. ECD centres and early learning programmes may also find useful information on how to engage parents and caregivers. Some information in the Resources section may be outdated.
Source and Date:
Collates knowledge shared about a range of different parenting programmes in BRDGE’s national and provincial ECD communities of practice over a number of years, and draws on the expert inputs of a working group of ECD CoP members. Developed in 2022 and still in use.
Infographic explaining key terms used in the field of nutrition for young children. It includes definitions of a sample of monitoring and evaluation terms used for measuring child nutrition and development outcomes in this field.
Use Case:
This is an easily-shared visual resource for practitioners at any level who are concerned with nutrition in early childhood, and with tracking outcomes in nutrition programmes.
Source and Date:
Definitions used for the child nutrition terms are from UNESCO. The resource was developed for use in a discussion on monitoring and evaluation of nutrition interventions in the BRIDGE M&E community of practice, 2021.
Summary of a seminar sharing information and research on parenting interventions, ranging from the Department of Basic Education’s caregiver capacity building programmes to international examples. Participant inputs and a panel discussion highlighted important enablers for success.
Use Case:
This resource is useful to any organisation working with parents/ caregivers of young children, with the intention of offering parenting programmes. It focuses on using community and government partnerships at different levels for increasing reach to parents.
Source and Date:
National and provincial BRIDGE ECD CoPs met with a wide range of partners in this seminar, 2021.
The QRT Tool is a professional development tool which helps ECD practitioners grow their own professional understanding of what makes for effective ‘quality’ in early learning programmes. Four dimensions of quality – teaching and learning, the ECD environment, the policy framework, and leadership and management – are linked to sets of self-reflection questions. The Tool includes journal templates for practitioners to record their learning journey. The Mediator Guide linked to the QRT Tool offers guidelines, activities and resources for trainers and others who wish to facilitate the use of the QRT with practitioners.
Use Case:
The Tool can be used by ECD practitioners on their own, or as a training resource for ECD Resource and Training Organisations along with the Mediator Guide. Centre principals or managers have used it for staff development purposes. It has also been used in initial teacher education courses for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). It has been designed to be printed out so that it can be filed in different sections, and practitioners can build up a resource file over time to include in a Portfolio of Evidence for CPTD points.
Source and Date:
Co-created by BRIDGE ECD provincial and national community of practice working groups. After a collaborative pilot process it was developed into its current format in 2019, along with the Mediator Guide. Still in use.
Case study from a low-fee creche in an informal settlement, giving the principal’s views on good leadership.
Use Case:
Useful for anyone interested in increasing their understanding of contextual pressures on the ground, and how good leaders address these challenges. Could be used as a case study in training programmes.
Source and Date:
Developed by BRIDGE as a working practice profile to share findings from the Quality Reflection Tool pilot programme, 2017.
Brief summary of on-the-ground views on quality challenges from practitioners working in three different ECD contexts.
Use Case:
Useful for anyone interested in increasing their understanding of contextual pressures on early learning programmes, and ways in which practitioners address challenges. Could be used as case studies in training programmes.
Source and Date:
Developed as a visual profiling tool to share findings from the Quality Reflection Tool pilot programme, 2017.
Summary ‘quick read’ version of the research and literature reviews done for the Project for Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education (PIECCE), covering knowledge and practice standards, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and Academic Support.
Use Case:
Useful for anyone interested in how Higher Education Institutions approach qualifications for Early Childhood Care and Education. The full range of PIECCE publications is available on the Saide website at https://www.saide.org.za/project.php?id=23
Source and Date:
Developed by BRIDGE as an easy access knowledge product from the research done for PIECCE, 2017.
An adaptable template with prompt questions to use with practitioners, to explore their views and knowledge on different aspects of good practice in ECD (e.g. how children learn, learning through play, types of resources needed). Includes a section on practitioner support requirements and on leadership in early learning programmes.
Use Case:
This resource could be used for practitioner training which includes self-reflection. It can also be used for quality assurance purposes linked to on-site observation of practitioner practices; or for assessment of workplace teaching practice; and can be adapted into either a written or oral assessment tool.
Source and Date:
Developed for the ECD Quality Reflection Pilot in 2016, for mediators to use on site visits to gather data on practitioner levels of knowledge and insight.
The Observation Tool is an assessment template designed for recording observations of ECD practitioners in action. It includes a section for observing principals. The Supplementary Resource gives the assessor/ observer guidelines on what to look for in terms of best practice.
Use Case:
These resources can be used for quality assurance purposes linked to on-site observation of practitioner practices, or for assessment of workplace teaching practice. The Observation Tool can also serve as a data collection or gap analysis tool for a practitioner cohort.
Source and Date:
Developed for the ECD Quality Reflection Pilot in 2016, for mediators to use on site visits to gather observed data on practitioner levels of application of knowledge and skills.
Summary ‘quick read’ version of the principles, topic coverage and design approach of the programme framework used in the Project for Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education (PIECCE). The framework informed the development of the ECCE Diploma (NQF Level 6) and B Ed Degree (NQF Level 7).
Use Case:
Useful for anyone interested in professionalisation of the ECD sector, and in ECCE higher education qualification design and coverage. The full range of PIECCE publications is available on the Saide website at https://www.saide.org.za/project.php?id=23
Source and Date:
Developed by BRIDGE as an easy access knowledge product from the programme framework development work for PIECCE, 2012.
