Staying power: Continued relevance of Interactive Audio Instruction for scale and sustainability of quality early education

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Worldwide, more than 250 million children are at risk of not meeting their developmental potential – they live in extreme poverty, lack nutrition and stimulation that support brain development, and have few opportunities to access early childhood development (ECD) programs that can mediate these risks. The ability of governments to provide ECD at scale while maintaining high quality and keeping costs low is limited, and while research has shown that the most-disadvantaged receive the greatest benefits from quality ECD, those groups are least likely to be served.

Interactive audio-based ECD programs address the dual challenges of cost and quality and help the most marginalized children and families gain access to and succeed in early education. Interactive Audio Instruction (IAI) supports children’s socio-emotional, cognitive, physical and creative development and overall readiness for school. IAI also trains and support teachers and caregivers, to ensure that schools are more ready for children. And IAI encourages family and community participation and increased awareness of the importance of ECD, to support program growth and sustainability.

This panel will present results from recent longitudinal studies of the institutionalization and scaling of interactive audio instruction programs for early childhood education in Zanzibar, Honduras, and Malawi, illustrating the value over time of the methodology as a means of promoting greater access to quality early learning in context where resources are scarce. It will illustrate the sustained learning advantages enjoyed by children who participated in preschool programs as they exit primary school; the long-term, systemic quality improvements supported by the introduction of these low-cost, high-reach programs; the effects on community investments and engagement in early education; and the increased access to learning opportunities that governments have been able to provide on their own as a result of startup investments by donors in high-quality IAI.

As countries embrace the evidence-based importance of early learning as a support for later success in school, employment, and civic life, this research provides an important reminder of the value of proven and relatively low-tech approaches for reaching goals at scale. IAI provides resource-limited governments and communities with a low-cost, reusable resource for delivering high-quality content to marginalized and challenged populations, making sustainability both affordable and manageable. Participants in this session will develop a better understanding of the approach and its benefits and will be introduced to resources that can help facilitate planning and coordination with governments as they pursue self-reliant programs that serve all young children.

Sub Unit

• Early Childhood Development SIG

Chair

• Carrie Louise Lewis, Education Development Center

Individual Presentations

• Longitudinal effects of early childhood Interactive Audio Instruction on student persistence and performance and on institutionalization of pre-primary education - Rachel Christina, Education Development Center (EDC)

• Longitudinal effects of Tiyende early childhood Interactive Audio on student retention, success, and community engagement with schooling in Malawi - Jennifer Kennedy, Education Development Center

• Longitudinal effects of Juego y Aprendo early childhood Interactive Audio on student retention, success, and access to ECD in Honduras - Bridget Drury, Education Development Center

Discussant

• Carrie Louise Lewis, Education Development Center