The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effect of a pre-primary education parent group intervention in children with and without disability in Nepal Bangladesh and Tanzania. The main question it aims to answer are: * What is the impact of a parent group intervention on primary school readiness in children aged 5-6 years old in three LMICs? * What is the feasibility and accessibility of a parent group intervention for these children? Participants will attend parent group sessions every two weeks for a total of 9 sessions. Researchers will compare a control group to see if there are impacts on school readiness and child development.
Vulnerable children, including those with neuro-developmental delays and disabilities, often face barriers in accessing early primary education, thus hindering progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4.2. Evidence-based interventions are essential to enhancing inclusivity and establishing sustainable implementation strategies to address this challenge. This study, Every Newborn - Reach up Early Education Intervention for All Children (EN-REACH), builds on the previous Every Newborn- Simplified Measurement Integrating Longitudinal Neurodevelopmental and Growth (EN-SMILING) observational cohort study. This is a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of a parenting group intervention program for enhancing school readiness in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tanzania, and an embedded process evaluation to inform scalability and feasibility. EN-REACH is a cRCT with 150 clusters to evaluate the impact of a parent training program led by trained parent-teacher facilitator pairs, focusing on children aged 4\~6 years preparing for preschool. Approximately 500 participants from the EN-SMILING cohort at each site have been identified. A geographic information system will define \~50 clusters in each of the three countries, each with approximately ten parent-child dyads. Half the clusters will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The primary outcome is "school readiness", assessed using the Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) tool. Secondary outcomes include Intelligence Quotient, child functioning, growth, visual, and hearing assessments. Data will be collected at baseline, and post-intervention data following implementation of the parent group intervention sessions over approximately 5-months. Quantitative data on coverage and quality care, combined with qualitative insights from children, caregivers, facilitators, and stakeholders' perspectives, will be used to conduct a process evaluation applying the RE-AIM framework. This trial focused on enhancing school readiness and cognitive abilities in young children, inclusive of those with disabilities, aims to bridge gap from home to early primary education. EN-REACH aims to provide insights into the effectiveness and acceptability of a co-designed disability-inclusive school readiness program in three countries, potentially impacting national, and global policies for all children, including those with disabilities.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
1,651
School readiness intervention
International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Golden Community
Lalitpur, Nepal
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO Tool)
School Readiness
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory
Child Disability
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
Washington Group Questionnaire
Child functioning
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
The Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence
Child IQ
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
Pre-school Register
Pre-school attendance
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
Mental Health Questionnaire
Maternal Mental Health screen
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDSQL Tool)
Child and family quality of life
Time frame: Baseline (children are aged 5-5.5 years) and 6 months later post intervention (children aged 5.5-6 years)
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