The Context: Children Aren’t Learning for Success in the Future

65% of children today will work jobs that do not yet exist. (The World Bank)

The world is rapidly changing and most methods of teaching are not preparing our children to succeed in a future filled with uncertainty. Educators and change-makers have long championed a more holistic and child-centered approach to learning that enables kids to develop the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Critical thinking, creativity, and grit are just a few of the skills fostered by student centered learning, especially in early childhood. Research shows that 90% of brain development happens in the first five years of life, and positive early learning leads to better outcomes in school and life (Harvard Center on the Developing Child). There are pre-primary programs like at the International School of Bilund in Denmark, which  tailor their curriculum and teaching methodology to focus on play, innovation and problem-solving. However, many more schools, especially in the developing world, still lag behind in adopting pedagogy that develops critical 21st century skills.

Moreover, 44% of children aged 3-4 in Africa experience low cognitive or social emotional development (McCoy et al. 2016). Luckily, much of this loss of developmental potential is preventable through holistic early child development; early stimulation and learning coupled with health, nutrition and nurturing care. Consequently, critical interventions are needed to ensure that children are receiving the best early learning experiences possible, without regard to their socio-economic status or geography.

The Partnership: Bringing Edutainment to Classrooms in Tanzania

In Tanzania, only 47 per cent of all 5-year-olds are enrolled at the pre-primary school level (UNICEF, Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania). This particularly affects children from low-income families, as primary school-aged kids from the poorest families are three times less likely to attend school than those from the wealthiest households. However, learning is not significantly better for children who do attend school; high student to teacher ratios, teacher absenteeism, a lack of training and the use of corporal punishment damage the quality of the education offered. Private schools are only affordable to the richest families with fees exceeding $800/year. Moreover, the majority of private schools suffer from the same problems as public institutions, with the exception of smaller student to teacher ratio.

Silverleaf Academy was created in 2016 to provide high quality education at an  affordable price to children in Tanzania. It is the first chain of pre-primary and primary schools in Tanzania designed for 4-14 years old kids from low to middle class families. Their education model also embraces EdTech innovations by deploying a curriculum that includes the use of tablets and other ICT devices. Silverleaf structures payment plans specifically to make its fees affordable for poor families, most of whom have never had access to private schooling before. Most parents whose children attend Silverleaf earn from $3 to $7 per day.

Similarly, Ubongo aims to reach the most at-need children with meaningful learning experiences through its educational cartoons. Both organisations are committed to the same mission: providing the best education possible to every child, starting from early childhood.

Understanding that kids learn best by having fun and playing, both use gamification, storytelling and active pedagogy to make education more efficient and attractive for children. Ubongo and Silverleaf Academy launched their partnership when Silverleaf opened its first school in 2017, making Akili and Me one of the central digital resources used in pre-primary classes. With the Akili and Me edu-cartoon, Silverleaf teaches early numeracy, pre-literacy, English, art and socio-emotional skills to its 4 to 5 years old students. ‘Ubongo sessions’ are one of every child’s favorite parts of the the Silverleaf pre-primary curriculum.  Each week, teachers incorporate 30 minute Ubongo lessons into their teaching. This partnership is a great example of how edutainment can be used to support meaningful learning in the classroom.

The Challenges: How to Incorporate Edutainment through Technology in Schools with Little Resources

Introducing digital education resources in the classroom is not easy. While implementing Akili and Me videos in pre-primary, Silverleaf faced the following challenges.

CHALLENGE #1 : Using videos in a low-tech environment  

Silverleaf’s example shows that using digital resources in the classroom with a limited electricity grid and no wifi in the school is possible but requires complex organisation and planning. Moreover, their small class size and extensively trained teachers make this level of organisation and management possible.  In Silverleaf’s schools, the teacher-student ratio is 1:45, which is significantly lower than the average teacher to student ratio in Tanzanian public schools, which is over 1:100. Each teacher recruited is trained and mentored to apply a student-centered approach and thoroughly grounded in development pedagogy. By dividing each class into smaller groups of students working together, Silverleaf encourages each child to develop their collaborative skills, critical thinking and problem-solving.  Group work allows students to receive individual attention and to develop the confidence to overcome obstacles. To optimise and expand the benefits of Akili and Me videos, the Silverleaf team is still searching for funding to acquire new digital equipment such as speakers.

CHALLENGE #2 : Changing the way we teach by using Akili and Me content

At Silverleaf, the use of Akili and Me videos is not limited to playing the video once or twice. Each ‘Ubongo Session’ is linked to a clear pedagogical objective. Students are fully active during viewing time. They sing, dance, name the elements they see in the video, and also rephrase to demonstrate comprehension. Teachers plan relevant activities that build on the Ubongo material and leverage the link to Ubongo and the passion Ubongo creates in students.  

Silverleaf developed a book of lesson plans accessible here, below is an example.

To make it possible, Silverleaf overcame another challenge by helping teachers adjust their teaching approach. Indeed, conducting ‘Ubongo Sessions’ required teachers to develop new skills in using  technology in the classroom and applying a student-centered teaching approach, which is far from being the norm in most Tanzanian schools. From the beginning, Silverleaf has invested in an extensive, high-quality teacher training program. All teachers go through training on new teaching techniques, psychology, classroom management, and child development. During the school year, teachers are mentored and observed by a diverse, international and Tanzanian education team.

The Results: Fun Learning for Both Students and Teachers

Investing in learning in early childhood has the most return on investment than any other period in a person’s life, therefore Silverleaf and Ubongo’s efforts are sure to bring about positive long-term impact.

What if I also want to use Ubongo’s videos in my organisation?

We are currently developing a user-friendly database filled with videos, illustrated worksheets, and more resources for caregivers to use with kids. The caregiver kit will introduce adults to early childhood development, parenting and teaching methodologies in culturally relevant and localised ways. To make it accessible we will have the kit available in multiple platforms and technologies including USB devices, mobile portal, web portal, and WhatsApp groups. At the moment, this kit is primarily focused on promoting early childhood development and learning. It has resources on pre-literacy skills, reading skills, numeracy skills, nutrition and health, social-emotional skills, learning through play activities, positive disciplining, leadership skills, fun games, and more. This kit is currently in prototype phase, and will be ready to launch by 2020.

Check out the prototype of the kit: Version 1

The Akili and Me ECD kits are meant to extend the educational impact of the series to even more caregivers. The goal is to partner with as many organisations as possible who work directly with communities to disseminate the kits and train community influencers, who can then train caregivers. This includes more partnerships with schools like Silverleaf to offer engaging edutainment resources that can be used in the classroom.