Abstract:
Early childhood development refers to a period of development from conception to age 8 years, wherein children begin to acquire a range of physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional skills. In consort with the mounting science evidencing the importance of early childhood development, countries have been increasingly investing in programmes to support children and families with young children. To identify whether these investments are effective, there is a need to develop instruments that can efficiently monitor childhood development at a population level. However, measuring early childhood development is challenging because of its dynamic nature; developmental domains are individually complex and inter-related. As children mature, their rate of development is not constant and they have both growth spurts and periods of slow or stagnant growth. These challenges in measuring early childhood development are exacerbated when making comparisons across cultures. Measurement concerns are particularly pertinent because of Target 4.2 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which focuses exclusively on early childhood development.
Overcoming challenges in measuring early childhood development across cultures
These challenges in measuring early childhood development are exacerbated when making comparisons across cultures