The lack of a valid and interpretable score to track early child development over time is a primary reason for neglecting child development in policymaking. Many instruments exist, but there is no accepted method for comparing their scores across different ages, samples, and instruments. This paper aims (1) to enhance the Development Score…

Background: Two hundred and fifty million children under five in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not achieving their developmental potential. High-quality milestone guides can help mitigate these risks but are often not contextually appropriate for countries like South Africa, because of unavailable resources and its…

Although the role of the home in supporting early childhood development, early learning and school outcomes is well established, the perspectives of caregivers on child development and schooling outcomes are comparatively underexplored. This qualitative study was conducted with caregivers of children aged 6-10 years in Mahikeng, South Africa and…

Within South Africa, approximately 1.5 million children suffer from malnutrition and stunting with dire effects on their early development and thriving potential. Nutritional care within the first 1000 days of children's life plays pivotal role in their holistic development when a stable, safe, nurturing and responsive relationship is provided by…

Caregivers play an outsized role in shaping early life experiences and development, but we often lack mechanistic insight into "how" exactly caregiver behavior scaffolds the neurodevelopment of specific learning processes. Here, we capitalized on the fact that caregivers differ in how predictable their behavior is to ask if infants'…

Background: Recent attempts to rekindle the decolonisation of education project in South Africa, is a reaction to perceptions that there are fundamental frailties in the existing curriculum. Childhood education is yet to take up the challenge in any substantive way. Aim: To explore the insights critical posthumanism might offer in attempting to…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are encouraged to implement play pedagogies and their views of play as a pedagogy in rural settings have not been captured widely. They are the main role players in implementing play pedagogies for learners' learning and development. The commitment to play can be traced through theory and…

The majority of the world's children live in low- and middle-income countries, yet the majority of early childhood cognitive research is done with a small proportion of high-income countries. These findings cannot be assumed to apply across all contexts. It is therefore necessary to confront entrenched systems of power and privilege in early…

This theoretical article examines the crucial role of play-based learning (PBL) in enhancing the mathematical skills of children in the Early Childhood Phase, referred to as Foundation Phase (Grade R-3) learners, within a South African context. The article argues that the traditional approach to teaching early childhood mathematics, where teachers…

Childhood trauma as a consequence of complex social challenges is prevalent in South Africa. The pastoral role of the early childhood development (ECD) teacher includes the support of parents with children who have suffered trauma, to promote the well-being of both the child and the parent. Underpinned by the framework of Maslow's hierarchy of…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) is increasingly being recognised as vital for the care and education of our children, particularly in countries such as South Africa where vast social disparities have a significant influence on development and well-being. Aim: This study aimed to explore and develop understandings of quality in early…

Background: Early childhood is a formative period during which distinguishable development has projections of bearing desirable outcomes within an individual. Hence, physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social independence are healthy components of a typical child's development that early childhood development (ECD) educators deem…

Caregivers of young children play a significant role through a child's early childhood. External factors such as environment, socio-economic status, and support system, impact children's early development experiences. This study explored how caregivers perceived their role in the early child development of 3-4-year-old children in an…

In South Africa, many infants spend more time with carers other than their parents due to socio-economic demands on mothers. Carers thus play an important role in the infants' lives. This qualitative study explored child carers' knowledge and understanding of the 'first 1000 days' initiative and their perception of themselves as attachment…

Background: The concept of school readiness is well-defined internationally. However, it is unclear how the concept is defined and used in South Africa or understood by preschool teachers. Aim: The aim of this analysis was to develop a clear and accessible summary of the concept of school readiness in South Africa for preschool teachers. Methods:…