Preparing Young Palestinian Children to Transition to School

The earliest years of a child's life are a window to acquire literacy, numeracy, social-emotional and life skills that will provide a foundation for lifelong learning and improvement. Early Childhood Development Programmes are essential for children who live in resource-poor settings, and play an important role in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty.

However, a UNICEF's report from 2022 found that only 25% of Palestinian children aged three to six years take part in early childhood education programmes. Additionally, a 2020 baseline study conducted by World Vision revealed that merely 62% of all Palestinian children under six years of age are on track developmentally in all domains.

To address these challenges, World Vision implements the Learning Roots project model which is a play-based learning approach that fosters the comprehensive development of children aged three to six years. It establishes the groundwork for successful transitions to primary school and lifelong learning.