Document Library
We use longitudinal data from children growing up in four developing countries (Peru, India, Vietnam, Ethiopia) to study the relationship between height at the age of 7–8 and a set of psychosocial competencies measured at the age of 11–12 that are known to be correlated with earnings during adulthood: self-efficacy, self-esteem and aspirations. Results show… Read more
This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of home-based, community-based, and state-run early childhood programs across Cambodia. A total of 880 five-year-olds (55% girls) from 6 rural provinces in Cambodia attending State Preschools, Community Preschools, Home-Based Programs, or no programs were assessed twice using the Cambodian Developmental Assessment Test. Controlling for baseline differences, children who participated… Read more
Many policymakers propose early childhood nutrition programs as a way to increase students’ academic achievement. This paper investigates the nutrition–learning nexus using a unique longitudinal data set that follows a large sample of Filipino children from birth until the end of their primary education. We find that better nourished children perform significantly better in school,… Read more
Background: A growing literature has linked early childhood growth to later-life cognition and schooling outcomes in developing countries. Although existing evidence suggests that children’s ability to recover from early growth delays in later childhood is limited, longitudinal studies on the persistence and risk of growth faltering beyond age 5 y remain scarce. Objective: Using longitudinal… Read more
The Asia-Pacific region is characterised by rich ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity, and children who have an opportunity to learn through their mother tongue or home language have the best chance of understanding what is taught, making the connection between the spoken and written word and participating in their own learning. Yet, many children must… Read more
In recent years Vietnam has achieved high levels of enrolment in basic education and undertaken important reforms intended to improve school quality. To understand home background and school-level influences on pupil achievement and progress and on the effectiveness of schools, classes and teachers, Young Lives conducted a survey of 3,284 Grade 5 pupils in 20… Read more
To reduce the high repetition rates in early years of primary school, the government of Cambodia piloted a school readiness program (SRP) in the first two months of Grade 1 of primary school.This study examines whether such intervention has effects on students’ immediate acquisition of school readiness skills as well as students’ longer term achievement… Read more
This book seeks to explore why the workplace has become involved in childcare support and what programmes have been implemented, based on concrete examples of childcare support that can be found in workplaces around the world. Even a quick look at the Internet reveals that there are a number of enterprises, government departments, parastatals, universities… Read more
Gradients across socio-economic position exist for many measures of children’s health and development in higher-income countries. These associations may not be consistent, however, among the millions of children living in lower- and middle-income countries. Our objective was to examine child development and growth in young children across socio-economic position in four developing countries. We used… Read more
While there has been substantial growth in early childhood development (ECD) services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is considerable inequity in their distribution and quality. Evidence-based governance strategies are necessary, but currently they are insufficient for widespread, quality implementation. In particular, there is a limited understanding of the use of systems approaches for… Read more
Approaches to increasing facility based births: Eliminating user fees and voucher schemes have been found to improve facility-based delivery rates. A systems approach was found to increase facility-based deliveries in the Philippines. The strategy prioritised the creation of community-based women’s health teams. Payment to a trained birth assistant within a health team incentivised referral to… Read more