Spotlight on Early Childhood Development (ECD)

Lopez Link Newsletter - September 2024 Issue

By Jal Castino

The Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) recognizes the importance of Child Development Workers and Child Development Teachers (CDW/Ts) in nurturing our youth by producing shows for Early Childhood Development (ECD) and conducting K-CARE training programs.

As we celebrate our teachers and their crucial role in nurturing not just productive individuals but also in building our country’s future, the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) focuses the spotlight on the Child Development Workers and Child Development Teachers (CDW/Ts) who teach the youngest children in public preschools or barangay child development centers. 

Despite Early Childhood Development (ECD) having a major impact on a child's development, capacity to learn, adapt, and flourish in life according to UNICEF, CDW/Ts lack the support, training and credentials, and resources to properly nurture, teach and guide these young learners.  

The Knowledge Channel TV (KCTV) and the Knowledge Channel Portable Media Library (KCPML) for ECD boasts of hundreds of video resources for CDW/Ts, their learners, parents, and other care providers. Among the titles in KCPML-ECD are Musikantahan, a music video series for young children featuring Filipino songs and poems for teaching oracy and fundamentals of reading based on Filipino culture; Kwentoons, an animated series of relatable stories that young viewers encounter in their day-to-day lives, designed to be appealing for early learning and narrated by teacher Michelle Agas; Atbp, a show with live puppetry, stop-motion, hand-drawn illustrations, songs, and movements for learning the Filipino alphabet, numbers, and values; and Kuwentong Pambata, Adarna story books turned into an animated series for teaching early reading and values. For parents, KCFI videos include I Love You: 1000, a series to educate new parents on parenting for the first 1000 days of a child’s life; and Dok Ricky Pedia, a sitcom highlighting proper nutrition and care for children. 

KCFI also offers a three-day capacity development program called K-CARE for CDW/Ts. This equips them with knowledge, skills, strategies, and tools so they can better engage their learners and in the process contribute to each child’s holistic early childhood development. 

This National Teacher’s Month, KCFI invites all CDW/Ts to a two-day online Child Development Workers’ and Teachers’ Conference on September 27 and October 4, which will highlight the Nurturing Care Framework, a thorough plan to improve the outcomes of early childhood, the importance of proper nutrition and having a safe environment for children. The conference will also discuss the effective and impactful use of Knowledge Channel video lessons for ECD as tools for daily child development center routines. Aside from Knowledge Channel resource persons, early childhood specialists from Miriam College, UP Department of Family Life and Child Development, and UNICEF Philippines will also be key discussants. 

Let us help our CDW/Ts deliver better learning experiences this National Teachers’ Month by gifting them a Knowledge Channel TV (KCTV) or Knowledge Channel Portable Media Library (KCPML) for ECD package. Donate to Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. today through BPI Acct. No. 0201-0409-14 or GCash via QR and kindly email a copy of your deposit slip to info@knowledgechannel.org for recording purposes, or contact Ms. Liberty Reyes, Resource Mobilization Manager, for more details at liberty.reyes@knowledgechannel.org.  

For Knowledge Channel on Lopez Link - September 2024.