The impact of village-based kindergarten on early literacy, numeracy, and school attendance in Solomon Islands

ABSTRACT

This research, a collaboration of an international aid organisation, an institute of higher education, and an external evaluation consultant, assesses the early literacy, numeracy, and school attendance outcomes resulting from an early childhood development programme undertaken in several villages in the province of Makira, Solomon Islands. The programme was designed to enable kindergarten provision, including teacher education and development, as an early childhood development strategy. This research focused on assessing programme impact in terms of early literacy, numeracy, and school attendance for children who had participated in kindergarten in Makira Province, compared against a matched group of children in another province of Solomon Islands who did not experience the early childhood programme. The findings of the study indicate both a statistically and educationally significant impact of village-based kindergarten on children's literacy and numeracy as well as their school attendance. These findings are discussed in the context of the international literature examining early childhood education in developing countries.

KEYWORDS:

• Early childhood development
• developing countries
• early literacy
• early numeracy
• kindergarten
• school attendance
• programme evaluation
• Pacific