ELOM 4&5 Technical Manual (5th Edition)

Overview

This Technical Manual explains the development, validation, scoring, and use of the Early Learning Outcomes Measure for children aged 4–5 years. Drawing on ELOM 4&5 standardisation, psychometric research, and expanded language-equivalence analyses, it examines how the tool measures key early learning and development domains and provides evidence that the assessment can be used reliably across different settings.

The resource provides insights into why trusted measurement matters and outlines implications for researchers, evaluators, programme implementers, funders, and decision-makers working to strengthen early childhood development systems.

Who should read this?

Researchers • Monitoring and evaluation practitioners • ECD programme implementers • Funders • Policymakers

Key insights

• ELOM 4&5 is an age-normed, standardised assessment tool for children aged 50–69 months
• The tool measures key domains of early learning and development linked to school readiness
• The manual provides guidance on scoring, norms, interpretation, and use of ELOM 4&5 data
• The 2026 edition includes expanded evidence on language fairness across South African languages
• The tool supports reliable data collection for programme monitoring, evaluation, and research
• Certified users can use ELOM 4&5 data to inform planning, improvement, and investment in early learning

Topics

ELOM 4&5 • Early Learning Outcomes • Assessment • Psychometrics • ECD Data • School Readiness

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Download the Technical Manual (PDF)