Individual International Consultants for the Provision of Technical Assistance for Development of Early Reading Materials

• Country: Zimbabwe
• Summary: Individual International Consultants for the Provision of Technical Assistance for Development of Early Reading Materials
• ZWT Ref No: 25634719
• Deadline: 20 Aug 2018
• Financier: United Nations Secretariat
• Purchaser Ownership: Government
• Tender Value: Refer Document
• Notice Type: Tender
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• Description:
• Tenders are invited for Individual International Consultants for the Provision of Technical Assistance for Development of Early Reading Materials. UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. 1. Background & Rationale The latest statistics in Zimbabwe show that majority of out-of-school children are the 3-5 year olds who do not attend the ECD A & B classes in the country. Of the total 3-5 year old child population, only 33.02% are enrolled in ECD classes (EMIS, 2016). Some of the reasons for children not attending include long distances from home to schools, unaffordable school fees and lack of awareness among parents on the importance of early learning to school readiness and development of the young children’s literacy and numeracy skills, Recognising that school readiness is considered to be a powerful framework for improving equity in access to education and affecting learning outcomes, especially for marginalized children, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) in its 2016-2020 education sector strategic plan (ESSP), has identified the following goal for supporting early childhood development in the sector “Increased access at ECD and increased enrolment rates at all levels especially for the vulnerable (OVC)”. MoPSE also recognises the important role that parents and families can play to better support children’s early learning and emergent literacy development both at home and in school. This is also supported by strong research where supportive parenting and stimulating home environments have been shown to be among the strongest predictors of school performance during primary school and beyond (Bradley and Corwyn 2005; Burchinal et al. 2002; Morrison and Cooney 2002; Richter 2004; Rogoff 2003; Werner and Smith 2001; Whiting and Edwards 1988). The learning environment provided in the home – as indicated by parents’ engagement with their children in learning activities such as singing, reading books, telling stories and playing games – is considered to be one of the characteristics of ready families. Children’s readiness for school and early academic success are influenced by parental involvement and the home environment. Experiences such as reading or book sharing, and having routines for meals and bedtimes promote school readiness by encouraging emotional, social and cognitive development in children.[1] Education efforts are needed to increase parents’ awareness and understanding of holistic care that includes health, nutrition and protection, and the relationship between early childhood experiences and later school readiness. Research also shows that home provides the earliest learning environment for developing vocabulary and providing exposure to print. Thus, understanding how the home literacy environment contributes to the development of important language and emergent literacy skills is critical in promoting successful literacy acquisition as well as preventing reading failure. The United Nations World Fit for Children (WFFC) mission statement of 2002 provides a current concept of “school readiness”, namely, a good start in life, in a nurturing and safe environment that enables children to survive and be physically healthy, mentally alert, emotionally secure, socially competent and able to learn. The WFFC goals highlight the importance of a caring, safe and stimulating environment for the holistic development of young children. UNICEF plans to focus on children who do not have access to early childhood development and education services and strengthen family support to provide both developmentally appropriate practices that would nurture and prepare their young children holistically for school, and support their participation in the early learning programmes in schools. It is in light of the above that UNICEF Zimbabwe requires the technical assistant of a consultant to develop early reading materials to strengthen support of young child early learning
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