Early Learning Through Play in Practice: Reflections from an Emerging Evaluator at the Young Child Forum

As a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Emerging Evaluator with the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA), I had the opportunity to attend a Young Child Forum (YCF). I hoped to gain an understanding of what a YCF is, observe how Early Childhood Development (ECD) policies are used on the ground, and see how various local stakeholders collaborate and engage with one another. I was interested in how they talk about challenges and how solutions are developed collectively, how YCF themes are discussed, and how activities happen during the forum. It was an eye-opening experience and helped me see how much teamwork and care go into supporting young children at the community level. I learned a lot just by listening and observing how everyone worked together, and it was interesting to see how play was used in the sessions to make learning more fun and engaging.

Emerging Evaluator (EE)

An emerging evaluator (EE) is a young person who is looking to grow and learn in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) profession. The EE programme under SAMEA focuses on providing work experience, professional exposure in M&E, mentorship, and networking opportunities for young emerging evaluators who are passionate about making a difference in the M&E field.

This article is my reflection on the learning through play experience at a young child forum

What is a Young Child Forum

A Young Child Forum is a community-based gathering that brings together Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners, NGOs, government officials, health workers, and caregivers. It was established to serve as a priority space for advancing ECD and aligning local efforts with priorities of the National Integration Early Childhood Development Policy, and to encourage community dialogue. The forum aims to strengthen collective action, built on community mobilisation, evidence-based advocacy, and partnerships. The forum is a collaborative initiative that provides a regular setting for learning, collaboration, collective problem solving, and shared purpose.

In UPhongolo Municipality, the Young Child Forum has been divided into three geographic areas: Pongola, Godlwayo, and Thusong Centre, to reach practitioners across all fifteen wards. Each practitioner attends the session closest to them to maximise accessibility. The forum is held once a month, and a facilitator is invited based on a specific need. A planning meeting between the ECD practitioners and Lulamaphiko takes place every November to plan the themes for the following year based on challenges experienced. This helps make sure the forum stays relevant and focused on what practitioners need support with.

Young Child Forum (YCF) Themes

To ensure a holistic and child-centred approach. The Young Child Forum is guided by six core themes: Celebration and Events, Health and Nutrition, Early Learning Training and Workshops, Safety and Protection, Development and Education, and Planning and Administration. These themes help in structuring discussions, initiatives, and collaborations centred on the various needs of young children and the ECD profession. The themes are in line with the National Integrated ECD Policy, which addresses ensuring that all young children have access to services like healthcare, nutrition, safety, and early learning. These themes cover all key areas highlighted by the policy that are important for young children’s development. This means that the work done by the forum is not happening in isolation, but it links to the National plan.

Highlights in my visit to the Young Child Forum

Between 03 and 05 June 2025, 82 ECD practitioners attended the forum. All three sessions were facilitated by Dipo Mhlongo, Programs Team Leader at Lulamaphiko. The focus theme of the forum was early learning training and workshops, where the focus was on early learning through play. The facilitator led a practical Duplo training recap, using colourful Duplo toys as tools to illustrate how play supports child development. These sessions were not just theoretical but practical, based on the daily realities of the classroom, making learning fun, meaningful, and child-centred. The Duplo toys, donated by the DO MORE Foundation, are more than colourful bricks, they are tools of transformation.

Practitioners explored how Duplo play supports:

• Gross and Fine Motor Skills

• Emotional and Social Development

• Cognitive Growth

• Perceptual Skills

• Speech and Language Development

One practitioner shared,

“I have seen how the Duplo toys have improved my children’s speech and language skills at the ECD. They have also encouraged teamwork, especially when the kids build together in groups using the Lego toys”.

The Help Desk

Before each forum ends, there is a help desk station where practitioners can get assistance with printing, paperwork, and reporting. They can also share any challenges they are facing in their ECD centres. Practitioners receive support with applying for grants, and currently, they are busy with applications for the DG Murray Trust (DGMT) funding. Practitioners experiencing challenges with their applications receive assistance.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Reflections

Attending the forum as a MEL intern made me think about the kind of change that is happening because of the forum and how we can identify it. I noticed that practitioners were confident about using play-based methods like Duplo in their classrooms and the change they see in the children. The attendance and active engagement in these sessions show that the forum matters and is a space for practitioners to learn and get support and shows the trust that has been established between the ECD practitioners and the Do More Foundation.

According to Blom's (2019) study, forums like these are important because they create connections between ECD centres and outside support, and help centres learn from each other. This experience has helped me see that the YCF, particularly in Pongola, is an important initiative for practitioners, NGOs, and government departments to collaborate in a shared vision of helping young children grow and learn in the best way in their early years.

Thank you to FNB ECD for supporting the DO MORE Foundation’s backbone role in Pongola, which facilitates and coordinates the Young Child Forum.

By Nokubongwa Ndlangamandla