Developmental Effects of Summer Preschools Intervention on Syrian Refugee and Turkish Children in Vulnerable Communities

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Impacts of Data Use in Early Childhood Settings

Abstract

Summer Preschools intervention project provided 10-week need-based preschool education to 5-to-6-year-old Syrian and Turkish children in the Southeastern border region of Turkey. Implementing the Preschool Education Program (PEP) curriculum to 2620 children across 140 classrooms, the project aimed to support language, cognitive and socioemotional development to increase school readiness. Impact evaluation was conducted with a control group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental research. 711 intervention and control group children were tested using various instruments. Compared to the control group, Summer Preschools children made statistically more significant progress in receptive/expressive language skills, pre-literacy/pre-numeracy skills, emotion regulation and social competence. The project made a substantial positive difference in the lives of at-risk children as an important non-governmental early education and intervention initiative in Turkey.

Author

• Ersoy Erdemir, Bogazici University