Home and Community-Based Early Education Accelerates Children’s Development
A comprehensive study in South Africa has revealed that home and community-based early learning programs in low-income communities significantly boost children’s development. According to research conducted within the SmartStart network, the proportion of children “on track” for their age increased from 45% to 65% in just eight months.
The study followed 551 children across 325 programs on a regular basis. Findings showed that the achievement gap between children from low- and high-income families shrank dramatically, dropping from 25 points to just 6. Through 12 implementing partners, the SmartStart network supports more than 14,000 practitioners, reaching 165,000 children every week. The model particularly encourages unemployed or underemployed women to run programs from their homes or community spaces.
The study highlighted that simple yet child-centred practices, such as structured daily play routines, language-building activities and encouraging children’s efforts, led to substantial gains in early maths and literacy skills.
Experts stress that these findings underline how the quality of early education is shaped not only by physical infrastructure but also by the experiences children have. Moreover, home and community-based programs, thanks to their small group sizes and cultural familiarity, provide unique contributions to children’s development.