RESOURCES

You can search here for any of the documents shared on this website.

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  • ELOM Tool

Determinants of School Readiness in South African Preschoolers: A Multifaceted Analysis of Numeracy and Literacy Skills
2026
What drives school readiness? This study shows that children’s own developmental capabilities are the strongest predictors of early literacy and numeracy outcomes.

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The Role of Government Subsidisation in the Early Learning Sector in South Africa: An Analysis Using Thrive by Five 2024
2026
Do subsidies improve early learning? This study shows they expand access for vulnerable children – but do not automatically improve outcomes.

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MESO-LEVEL RESEARCH AND EVALUATION HOW PROGRAMME EVALUATIONS CAN DRIVE STRATEGIC CHANGE IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT ECOSYSTEM
2025
How can programme evaluations drive real change in early learning? This case study explores how ELOM-integrated evaluations are being used to measure impact, strengthen programmes, and support better decision-making across South Africa’s early childhood development ecosystem.

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On-Track in Early Childhood: Machine Learning Prediction of Early Learning Status in the Context of Socioeconomic and Developmental Risk
2026
Can we predict which children are at risk? This study shows how data can help identify children who need support earlier and more effectively.

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Early Learning Under Climate Stress: Extreme Rainfall and Child Development in South Africa
2026
How does climate affect early learning? This study shows that extreme rainfall disrupts development, particularly for children in already vulnerable contexts.

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Cognitive Gains from Early Learning Programme Enrolment in Three South African Provinces
2026
Does attending an early learning programme improve outcomes? This study shows that enrolment supports development – but only when programmes are of sufficient quality and duration.

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The Relationship Between Risks to Caregiver Mental Health and Child Learning Outcomes
2026
How do caregiver wellbeing and household conditions shape early learning? This study shows that structural factors – more than caregiver mental health risks alone – drive children’s developmental outcomes.

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Learning Programme Quality Assessment (LPQA) (v2): Technical Manual
2025
The technical foundation for a stronger, more objective tool to assess early learning programme quality in South Africa.

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How-To: Host an ELOM Data Party
2025
This practical facilitation guide helps teams make sense of their ELOM data together before deciding what to do next. While reports provide important insights, meaningful action rarely happens through individual reading alone.

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Thinking Sideways with Your ELOM Data – Playful Provocations
2026
A set of facilitation cards designed to spark fresh thinking about ELOM results and help teams explore new interpretations of their data.

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Insights Brief: ELOM 4&5 and ELOM-R Predict Performance on Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Assessments in Grade 2
2025
An evidence-based study examining whether early learning assessments (ELOM 4&5 and ELOM-R) can reliably predict later reading and mathematics performance in the Foundation Phase.

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Insights Brief: Maximising Impact through the Data Value Chain
2025
A conceptual framework outlining the journey from data collection to effective data utilisation in early childhood development, with nine key components that add incremental value and involve diverse stakeholders.

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Case Study: How Programme Evaluations Can Drive Strategic Change in the Early Childhood Development Ecosystem
2025
This case study examines how ELOM-integrated programme evaluations have strategically contributed to South Africa’s early learning ecosystem. It documents not only the results, but also the learning process: how programme teams,, and evaluators worked together to interpret ELOM evidence.

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Insights Brief: Re-introducing the ELOM 4&5 Targeting Tool
2025
A five-item rapid assessment tool derived from the ELOM 4&5 Assessment, designed to identify children falling far behind in development who need targeted support, administered in just 15 minutes.

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Insights Brief: Assessing Fairly: Home Language vs. Familiar Language in Early Learning Outcome Measures
2025
This brief examines how assessing a child in their home language compared to a familiar language affects performance outcomes on the ELOM 4&5 Assessment Tool. It highlights where language mismatches in assessment can underestimate a child’s developmental ability.

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