Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a)
| CfC FP Objective | Healthy young families Early learning and care School transition and engagement |
| Delivered to | Children aged 0 to 5 years, especially for young children at-risk |
| Delivered by | Early childhood professionals – including, for example, early childhood educators, intervention workers, family support facilitators and maternal and child health nurses. |
| Delivery setting | Community-based and online |
| Program developer | Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne |
About the program
The program is a combination of teaching and learning strategies for use in early childhood settings and parenting programs designed to enhance children’s cognitive, emotional and communication outcomes and readiness for school.
Program structure
Program comprises 4 elements:
- Learning games®
- Conversational reading
- Language priority
- Enriched care-giving.
Evaluation and effectiveness
An RCT was undertaken in North Carolina, USA 1972-1977 with a sample of children from vulnerable or disadvantaged families. Children in this study have been followed into adulthood. Outcomes of the program included: higher cognitive test scores than control group; higher academic achievement; enhanced language development. Mothers whose children participated in the program achieved higher educational and employment status. The disadvantaged children who attended the program for the first 5 years of life had better health at 35 years of age. Current research is underway in Australia and Canada.
References
Campbell, F. A., Conti, G., Heckman, J. J., Moon, S., & Pinto, R. (2014). Early Childhood Program Improves Adult Health. Science, 343(6178), 1478-1485.
Campbell, F., Pungello, E., Burchinal, M., et al. (2012). Adult outcomes as a function of an early childhood educational program: an abecedarian project follow-up. Developmental Psychology, 48(4), 1033-1043.
More references are available on the project website.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Website: education.unimelb.edu.au/3a
Principal consultant: Jane Page