Early Childhood Cognitive Stimulation and Successful Transition to Preschool in a Disadvantaged Population in Rural Pakistan

Eight-eight million young children worldwide are estimated to dropout before completing primary school education resulting in serious repercussions for human capital formation. Early Childhood Development interventions that prepare children for school may lead to reduction in early dropout. At the Aga Khan University, working with colleagues at Stanford University and the University of British Columbia, we are doing research to understand how early infant and toddler interventions affect 4-year-old children who need to successfully regulate their behaviour and attention in order to adapt and succeed when they begin school. Such research can influence decisions to allocate public funding to early childhood interventions.