Early Learning programmes are non-existent in most corners of our community, so Thanda’s Early Learning programmes fill a critical void for our youngest community members, providing quality learning opportunities to ensure proper physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development – giving children everything they need for a positive start in life.

Under normal circumstances, our Early Learning Programmes occur either at our Community Centre or at our smaller satellite ECD centre – supporting a total of 125 children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old.

All of Early Learning Programmes came to a halt in 2020, but we could continue supporting children through a Learning at Home programme, which our staff developed in response to the strict national lockdown last year. Keeping young minds active and engaged is absolutely critical during children’s formative years, so our team put together fun, experiential curriculum packets that guardians could easily implement with their children using everyday household items.

Once the lockdown restrictions eased, we shifted all of our Early Learning Programmes to a community-based model (Neighbourhoods ECD), enabling children to learn in small groups right in the safety of their own neighbourhood.

Key Programme Features:

Daily Early Learning Programming & Nutritious Meals:
Children attend Neighbourhoods ECD daily (Monday through Friday) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and receive morning porridge, a snack, and a nutritious meal.

Contextually Relevant Curriculum:
Our early learning curriculum is aligned with the South African National Curriculum Framework for Children from birth to four. It also integrates principles from the Circle of Courage — a Native American methodology that helps us balance the ideas of Belonging, Independence, Mastery and Generosity — and a focus on the development of lifelong learning skills. These concepts are seamlessly integrated into all of our lessons and taught through the lens of children’s stories and fables which are reinforced through imaginative play and inquiry-based projects.

Small-Group, Community-Based Format:
The intention of our Neighbourhoods ECD Programme is to enable children to attend ECD programming each day in the safety of their own neighbourhoods. Children are split among small neighbourhood groups, each of which is led by one of Thanda’s qualified facilitators who lives in the area. Neighbourhoods ECD sessions take place in a community member’s back yard or an extra hut on someone’s property if there is one available.

COVID-19 Protocols:
Fragmenting these groups helps us adhere to recommended guidelines for social distancing and ensure that any potential outbreak remains contained in one corner of the community. Tippy tap handwashing stations are installed at all Neighbourhoods ECD sites and serviced by our staff regularly to ensure that there is always soap and running water available. Our Neighbourhoods ECD staff take care to ensure that children’s temperatures are monitored daily and to make sure that toys and educational resources are disinfected regularly.

Guardian Support & Household Gardening Training:
As an extension to this programme, our staff visits the household of every child enrolled once per month. During these visits, our facilitators provide personalised feedback to guardians so that they can better support their children’s learning and development at home. Facilitators also deliver a Monthly Activity Pack, which includes one book for children to keep at home and a curriculum packet chock-full of activities based on the book for that month. We also offer gardening training for households that want to grow their own vegetables at home.

Goals and Objectives:
The ultimate goal of this programme is that children develop foundational and lifelong learning skills defined by our Early Learning Assessment Framework, which utilises benchmarks from the National Curriculum Framework and our benchmarks. There are eight broad learning areas for this programme, each with its own skills and corresponding benchmarks/indicators.

Key skills development areas:
- Social & Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Numeracy
- Language & Literacy
- Knowledge & Skills
- Creative Arts
- Belonging
- Cognitive & Perceptual Development

Internal Programme Goals:
- At least 75% of children achieve grade-level milestones
- Children have appropriate skills for their age level, regardless of their socio-economic situation (benchmarked using the Early Learning Outcomes Measure Assessment)
- Guardians are more engaged in the learning and overall development of their children
- Increase in number of children accessing medical care
- Children have increased access to proper nutrition