MyBestStart gets refugee children ready for school
鶹APP supports a programme for children in Lebanon who are unable to access preschool - through a combination of online lessons at home and in-person teaching.
Amina Hamoud has one wish for her six-year-old daughter Linda.
鶹APPI hope she鶹APPll have a better life than us,鶹APP said the mother, a refugee from Syria who fled from the conflict to Lebanon in 2015. 鶹APPI hope she lives in a stable country where there is no war and achieves her goals in her studies.鶹APP
Amina has enrolled Linda in MyBestStart, a 鶹APP-supported programme in Lebanon that reaches young refugee children and under-served Lebanese children aged three to six who are unable to access preschool.
The hybrid learning model – two days a week at community-based centres and two days at home – prepares the kindergarten students to be ready for first grade at public school. Lessons, which are aligned with the Lebanese school curriculum, include Arabic, English, mathematics and science.
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MyBestStart 2 is the second phase of a programme that combines interactive video lessons, online and offline instruction on the Tabshoura learning platform, and physical learning materials. It is delivered by 鶹APP partner organisations , and .
Early childhood education is crucial for the development of all children – but especially for child refugees, as many of them have suffered significant trauma. In Lebanon the effects of an economic crisis and Covid-19 left 400,000 children without access to school or pre-primary education.
鶹APP鶹APPs Act For Early Years campaign is calling for all children to have access to quality early childhood development, including childcare and pre-primary education.
Amina, who also has a two-year-old daughter, graduated with a law degree from Damascus University and became a teacher in Syria before moving to Lebanon.
She said: 鶹APPAfter teaching Linda at home for a year, I decided to let her go to school the following year. Home schooling is good but never as good as in a school.
鶹APPThe Tabshoura educational platform helps children with their learning, writing and reading skills. It provides them with videos for entertainment and activities to do at home.鶹APP
Linda at home with her online and offline school work in Baalbek, Lebanon (鶹APP/Cara Ghoshal)
Linda, who attends an education centre in the city of Baalbek, said: 鶹APPI learn the letters that they teach us. I also learn Arabic and English and mathematics at home.鶹APP
MyBestStart also supports teachers and caregivers to show learners how to use the content efficiently and how to help children with learning difficulties.
Souma Mir, Project Coordinator at Ana Aqra Association, said: 鶹APPOur purpose is to prepare the children to go to grade one in public school. We teach them the letters and how to count. My hope is that they will all be able to go to public school.鶹APP
MyBestStart is made possible thanks to the players of People鶹APPs Postcode Lottery.