Assessing the play and learning environments of children under two years in peri-urban Lima, Peru: a formative research study

Abstract

Background Home-based interventions have potential for improving early child development (ECD) in low-resource settings. The design of locally acceptable strategies requires an in-depth understanding of the household context. In this formative research study, we aimed to characterize the home play and learning environments of children 6–23 months of age from low-income households in peri-urban Lima, Peru. Methods Drawing on the developmental niche framework, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to understand children’s physical and social settings, childcare practices, and caregiver perspectives. We conducted interviews, unstructured video-recorded observations, and spot-checks with 30 randomly selected caregiver-child dyads, 10 from each child age group of 6–11, 12–17, and 18–23 months of age, as well as key informant interviews with 12 daycare instructors. We analyzed the data for key trends and themes using Stata and ATLAS.ti and employed an adapted version of the Indicator of Parent-Child Interaction to evaluate the observations. Results Children’s social settings were characterized by multi-generational homes and the presence of siblings and cousins as play partners. Access to books and complex hand-eye coordination toys (e.g., puzzles, building blocks) in the home was limited (30.0 and 40.0%, respectively). Caregivers generally demonstrated low or inconsistent levels of interaction with their children; they rarely communicated using descriptive language or introduced novel, stimulating activities during play. Reading and telling stories to children were uncommon, yet 93.3% of caregivers reported singing to children daily. On average, caregivers ascribed a high learning value to reading books and playing with electronic toys (rated 9.7 and 9.1 out of 10, respectively), and perceived playing with everyday objects in the home as less beneficial (rated 6.8/10). Daycare instructors reinforced the problems posed by limited caregiver-child interaction and supported the use of songs for promoting ECD. Conclusions The features of the home learning environments highlighted here indicate several opportunities for intervention development to improve ECD. These include encouraging caregivers to communicate with children using full sentences and enhancing the use of everyday objects as toys. There is also great potential for leveraging song and music to encourage responsive caregiver-child interactions within the home setting.

Effects of early childhood education on early childhood development in Bangladesh

“…One possible contributing factor is the potential lack of exposure to structured learning environments and educational stimuli during the critical early years of development [26]. Early childhood education programs often provide a foundation for cognitive, social, and emotional development, and the absence of such experiences may hinder overall developmental progress [27, 28]. Moreover, disparities in socio-economic conditions, parental education levels, and access to resources could play a role [28].…”

“…Early childhood education programs often provide a foundation for cognitive, social, and emotional development, and the absence of such experiences may hinder overall developmental progress [27, 28]. Moreover, disparities in socio-economic conditions, parental education levels, and access to resources could play a role [28]. Children who do not participate in early childhood education programs may face additional challenges related to family income, educational support at home, and overall household well-being [21, 29-31].…”

‘Children awaken by playing’: a qualitative exploration of caregivers’ norms, beliefs and practices related to young children’s learning and early childhood development in rural Burkina Faso

“…Formative research has informed the design of ECD interventions in low and middle income countries 12 15 21 22 28–34. However, few trials in sub-Saharan Africa reported using formative research or local community advisory boards in intervention design, and there has been little research exploring caregiver beliefs and perspectives on development and learning from birth 12 15 22 34–38.…”