ROLE OF AN ADULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD: EVIDENCE FROM A HOME BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAM Deniz Senocak Prague, 31 August 2007

Research Team Sevda BEKMAN Bilge TARBA Implementation M i n i stry o f Nat i onal Educat i on Mother C h i ld Educat i on Foundat i on

Outline  Background to MOCEP  How MOCEP Works  Implementation of MOCEP  Selective Results of Evaluation Research of MOCEP (Nationwide Program) Bekman, S. A Fair Chance

Background to MOCEP 1982 MOCEP was developed as a part of a scientific research project conducted at Boğaziçi University 1992Revision of MOCEP 1992MOCEP-MONE collaboration starts 1993Mother Child Education Foundation (MOCEF) was established 2007 Implementation continues in collaboration with MONE General Directorate of Non-Formal Education

How MOCEP Works AIM GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND HOME VISITS CHILDREN AT 5 YEARS OF AGE and MOTHERS 25 WEEKS TOTAL FORM DURATION COMPONENTS Mother Enrichment Program Reproductive Health and Family Planning Cognitive Training Program

Mother Enrichment Program  It aims to increase the mother’s sensitivity to the cognitive, social and emotional development of the child and to aid her in preparing a home environment.  It aims to support the parent in creating a consistent and positive mother-child interaction.

Mother Enrichment Program  The mothers attend group discussions and are expected to carry out group decisions at home. The consequences of these decisions are followed by the group leaders in the next meetings. They will feel the support of the group when faced with resistance for the decision taken at home.  This process is believed to facilitate more attitude and behavior change than other means of disseminating information which makes the participants passive receivers.

Cognitive Training Program  Prepare the child for school, by stimulating his pre- literacy and pre-numeracy skills.  Mediated learning approach- the aim is to promote school readiness through interaction with an adult who is instructing the child.  Enhances the mothers educator role.  A preschool program for children based on activity sheets and storybooks that the mother learns in the group and implements at home with her child.

Cognitive Training Program  Each week’s materials contain various daily exercises to be used by the mother with the child which takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.  The worksheets get progressively more difficult over time.  Through asking questions, making suggestions, instructing and answering questions mothers help the child to integrate their developing cognitive skills and create an opportunity to function in their zone of proximal development.  Interactions carry the characteristics of a scaffolding dialogue.

Cognitive Training Program  8 picture story books are used for training in listening comprehension, verbal description, vocabulary, question-answer activities and reasoning.  Interactive shared book reading activities are given particular emphasis.

Implementation 25 week program implemented in three hours sessions once a week + home activities Group Meetings  Mother Support Program – 1.5 hours discussion  Reproductive Health – 0.5 hours  Cognitive Training Program – 1 hour for mother to learn worksheets in group  Total three hours in group meetings Home Activities  Cognitive Training Program – mothers implement worksheets at home with child every day for 30 minutes  total 30 minutes * 5 days* 25 weeks  Home visits – facilitator can implement 4-5 home visits to each mother child at home

Process of The Evaluation Research AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM LEVEL OF THE PRE- LITERACY AND PRE-NUMERACY SKILLS and MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AT THE END OF THE FIRST GRADE LEVEL OF THE LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS AT THE END OF THE 1st GRADE and MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP EVALUATION BY THE TEACHER AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM LEVEL OF THE PRE- LITERACY AND PRE-NUMERACY SKILLS and MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

Results at the end of the Program

Sample Mother Trained102 Non-Trained115 Total217

Change in Pre Literacy and Pre Numeracy Skills CHANGE SCORES PRE-LITERACY PRE-NUMERACY MOTHER- TRAINED NON-TRAINED

Change in Pre-literacy and Pre-numeracy Scores According to Environmental Stimulation PRE- LITERACY PRE- NUMERACY PRE- LITERACY PRE- NUMERACY STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT NON-STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT MOTHER-TRAINEDNON-TRAINED CHANGE SCORES

Results at the end of the first grade

Sample Mother Trained85 Non-Trained92 Total177

Literacy and Numeracy Skills LITERACY SKILLS NUMERACY SKILLS MOTHER-TRAINEDNON-TRAINED MEAN SCORES

Passing Grades MOTHER-TRAINEDNON-TRAINED MEAN GRADES

Date Child Began to Read MOTHER-TRAINED NON-TRAINED NUMBER OF CHILDREN

School Readiness of Child According to Mother 72% MOTHER-TRAINEDNON-TRAINED NOT READY 28% NOT READY 0% READY 100%

Teachers Evaluation on School Readiness COGNITIVESOCIAL MOTHER-TRAINEDNON-TRAINED MEANS

Teacher’s Evaluation of Children APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS ATTENTIVE CREATIVECURIOUS MOTHER-TRAINEDNON-TRAINED MEANS

Summary- Effects on Cognitive Development  create a home environment with necessary stimulation for such literacy and numeracy activities by making the mother active in this environment.  better performance in pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills  better prepared for formal schooling and achievement.  earlier date for reading  better school success of children at the end of their first year of primary school

Mothers Speaking “A change with my son was such that it could clearly be observed. Before he was unable to hold even a pencil, now he sits down and paints pictures and write his name. He is also able to solve simply addition and subtraction problems.” “With what I learnt in the course I also guided my child. I think that I enabled a considerable degree of change in my child.I think that we are learning all the subjects that can be learnt before schooling.”

Mothers Speaking “I used to hit him at times when I could not stand it anymore. Now it is almost absolutely over.” “I did not use to talk to my son thinking that he was just a kid, whereas now I feel the need to talk to him.” “I was the one who benefited the most from the program. Then, I tried to reflect this change at home.”

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