Child Development MICS3 Data Analysis and Report Writing

Early childhood development: Background A period of rapid brain development occurs in the first 3-4 years of life The quality of home environment is the major factor determining the childs development during this period Over 240 million children under 5 in the developing world are not developing their full potential.

International Goals & Targets That children should be physically healthy, mentally alert, emotionally secure, socially competent and ready to learn

Early childhood development: Background Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory – to measure the quality and quantity of stimulation and support available to a child in the home environment UNICEF has developed an alternative list of questions similar to HOME – longer list of questions, piloted in 7 different settings, includes 5 sub-scales: –Adult activities with children –Sources of play materials –Presence of books in the home, and for the child –Severity of punishment –Conditions of care

Early childhood development: Background Activities correlate strongly with nutritional status and IQ scores –Activities include adult engagement in: Reading books, looking at picture books Telling stories Singing Playing Taking out Naming, counting, drawing things Books are associated with stunting, vocabulary score, IQ score, important for later school performance

Early childhood development: Background Materials for play: Play is childs work, Young children learn by manipulating objects Home-based toys require no money and indicative of involvement of family members in child care.

Early childhood development: Background Inadequate care: –Children left alone –Children left in the care of other children Increased risk of accidents

Indicator MICS indicator 46 – Support for Learning Numerator: Number of children aged 0-59 months living in households in which an adult has engaged in four or more activities to promote learning and school readiness in the past 3 days Denominator: Total number of children aged 0-59 months surveyed

Indicator MICS Indicator 47- Fathers support for learning Numerator: Number of children aged 0-59 months whose father has engaged in one or more activities to promote learning and school readiness in the past 3 days Denominator: Total number of children aged 0-59 months

Indicator MICS indicator 48 – Support for learning: childrens books Numerator: Number of households with three or more childrens books Denominator: Total number of households surveyed

Indicator MICS indicator 49 – Support for learning: non- childrens books Numerator: Number of households with three or more non- childrens books Denominator: Total number of households surveyed

Indicator MICS indicator 50 – Support for learning: materials for play Numerator: Number of households with three or more materials intended for play Denominator: Total number of households surveyed

Indicator MICS indicator 51 – Non-adult care Numerator: Number of children aged 0-59 months left alone or in the care of another child younger than 10 years of age in the past week Denominator: Total number of children aged 0-59 months surveyed

Methodological issues Non-childrens books asked for the household, while childrens books asked for each child Materials child plays with may add to more than 100, as it was a multiple- response question Questions new to MICS