E-Learning Shop Data

LABE’S 3-STRANDS HOME BASED ECD MODEL

Since 2017, LABE has been working to scale its inclusive 3-Strands Home-Based ECD Model anchored in a family intergenerational learning approach called Family Basic Education (FABE) which LABE has championed since 2000.  In intergenerational approaches to learning, like FABE, different generations learn from and with each other – offering opportunities for both adults & children to engage in lifelong learning.

Our innovative home-based ECD model is built around three interconnected strands of Parent-led, Child-to-Child and Parent Educator-led strands to address the physical access to ECD limiting factors including socio-economic status, geography, disability, by enabling children learn from their vicinity at a chosen home within a village called a Home Learning Centre (HLC). It has also addressed language as a cognitive access to ECD limiting factor by promoting ECD curriculum content delivery in local language, particularly for minority language communities in remote, border-districts associated with social conflict and refugee influx.

The 3 Interconnected Strands

Since 2017, LABE has been working to scale its inclusive 3-Strands Home-Based ECD Model anchored in a family intergenerational learning approach called Family Basic Education (FABE)

The Parent-Led Strand

Brings on board Parenting Education to train and equip parents with knowledge, tips and tools to provide nurturing care for their 0–3-year-old children. They learn to playfully engage the children in early communication and socialization activities at home or at the HLCs in supervised childcare and play corners managed by parents as caretakers. Parents are also guided on how to create a conducive environment for children’s learning at home, how to engage their 3–6-year-old children in early learning activities like shared book reading and educative games and are encouraged to actively get involved in ECD supportive activities at the HLCs like creation of play and learning materials.

The Parent Educator-Led Strand

Brings together pre-school children of 3 to 6 years from nearby homes to be managed by a Parent Educator/Caregiver in one selected home called a Home Learning Centre (HLC). These are safe, familiar environments for the children, but also promote cohesion, agency and shared responsibility among families for their own and children’s education. The learning sessions at a HLC follow a daily routine. In this way, this thread has similarities with the formal nursery features but also has distinctly non-formal features like the flexible learning timetables, shorter session duration, direct parent involvement in HLC activities, more hours of HLC accessibility.

The Child-to-Child Strand

Recognizing the power of play and peer-learning, this strand involves upper primary school children called Young Facilitators, working with 5 – 6-year-olds in their final year of pre-school. They use fun and play-based enrichment activities like culturally relevant songs, games, picture-stories to further enhance the preschoolers’ school readiness. These play activities can take place at the HLC and in individual children’s homes.

Key Features

Key Features and Ingredients of the Model

  • It is a low-cost model that seeks to increase access to quality, inclusive and sustainable ECD for all children.

  • It responds to a context of remoteness, poverty and resource scarcity.

  • It draws on the strengths that exist within communities; local culture, languages, knowledge, social cohesion and kinship ties.

  • It is founded on intergenerational learning and community ownership, equipping parents with the capacity to support pre-school children’s early learning/development.

Key Features

Inbuilt Self-financing Mechanism for Sustainability

  • HLC-based Village Savings and Loans Associations are set up to help parents contribute towards an education fund that supports HLC activities and improve their family incomes

  • HLC gardens are set up to ensure proper nutrition for the children while at the HLC. The parents also ran micro-enterprises both as groups and as individuals to support their families and the continuity of the HLCs.

Key Features

Structured Non-formal Learning

  • Flexible sessions held in a minimum of 3 days a week for 2.5 to 3 hours with a caregiver’s supervision using a daily routine and a play-based approach. Start time is as agreed by the parents.

  • Content is aligned to government policies and guidelines but instruction takes into consideration cultural resources such as mother language, stories, songs, games

Key Features

Active Family Engagement, Community Participation and Ownership

  • Sessions are in HLCs managed by a Home Learning Centre Management Committee constituted of parents, local leaders

  • Sessions are facilitated by parents and older children at home and at HLCs as caretakers and Parent Educators

Key Features

Integrative Approach to ECD

  • Interventions include parenting education, livelihoods-based and financial literacies, child – to – child learning intergenerational family-based learning, direct inclusive and holistic ECD sessions covering cognitive, nutrition & health, social-emotional and physical components

The Impact

  • Results of the model show positive changes in children’s learning outcomes, family wellbeing and the relationship between teachers, families and community

  • A Complementary Learning Framework was produced in partnership with the National Curriculum

  • Development Centre for use by any interested provider throughout the country.

  • We signed memoranda of understanding with the Ministry of Education and Sports and Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development to scale up home-based ECD.

  • New adopters (district/local government, NGOs/CBOs, higher institutions of learning and individuals) of the home-based ECD have started similar work outside LABE’s focal districts and in other African countries like Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi.

Children Served in HCL's

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Home Learning Centers Established across 6 refugee hosting and post conflict districts of: Terego, Koboko, Obongi, Yumbe in West Nile and Gulu , Nwoya in Nothern Uganda.

Parents Trained

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Pre-School children enrolled in Home Learning Centers (HLCs) with 148 differently abled children

HCL's

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Parents trained in parental and financial literacy.

You can join us expand this transformative model to reach more families by adopting it, funding it, researching, documenting and sharing it widely. 

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