Bridging Legacy and Innovation: Reflections from the SBCC Summit
I recently joined change-makers from around the world at the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama City. My journey began in Casco Viejo, a historic district where the new has not erased the old but moved in beside it. Restored buildings in ochre and cream stand next to buildings […]
Advancing Early Childhood Measurement: ELOM 4&5 in Global Health Research
At DataDrive2030, we are committed to strengthening the measurement of early learning outcomes across diverse contexts. A powerful example of this work in action is the use of the Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) 4&5 in international research settings.
From Preschool to Grade R: What Two ELOM Studies Tell Us About Fair Language Assessment
A central question in early learning assessment is simple but consequential: in which language should children be tested to give the fairest picture of what they know and can do? Two recent studies using Early Learning Outcome Measures (ELOM 4&5 and ELOM-R) explore a critical question in South Africa’s multilingual education system: should children be assessed in their home language or in the language they are taught in?
Beyond the Centre – Challenges, Possibilities, and What We Learned from Assessing Non-Enrolled Four-Year-Olds
Through online focus groups, assessors who conducted ELOM assessments in the homes of 272 children shared candid reflections on the realities of this work. Their insights reveal both the complexity and the value of home-based developmental assessment.
LPQA (v2) is here: A stronger, more objective way to measure early learning programme quality
Early learning programmes (ELPs) help children learn, grow, and prepare for school. But access alone is not enough – quality matters. That is why measuring programme quality in a way that is clear, consistent, and trustworthy is so important. It is also central to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.2, which calls for all children to […]
What We’re Learning About Better Hiring in ECD
At DataDrive2030, we’ve always known the practitioner matters. Our Positive Deviance Initiative shows that it’s not just what children are taught, but how (and by whom) that shapes their learning. Responsive, intentional, engaged practitioners can make all the difference. But lately, we’ve been asking a new question: What if we could support principals not just in growing great practitioners, […]
The Experience of a Senior ELOM Trainer
Palesa Chauke is an occupational therapist and senior ELOM trainer who is doing a Master’s degree in Paediatrics and Early Learning. Palesa reflects on her experience as a senior ELOM trainer.
The Journey from an ELOM Assessor to Assistant trainer
S’thombe Sibiya trains Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners monthly in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Eastern Cape for the past three+ years. She also mentors at five sites in KZN, and is a part of the team at Impande. This is her story.
Shifting and Shaping the Future – Reflections from an Assistant ELOM Trainer
Ashley Manuels works behind the scenes to inform and reform policy to help children in schools. He has been with JET Education Services for almost 10 years and is currently helping standardise the curriculum for Grade R. This is his story.