@article {7640,
	title = {Leveraging Caregivers to Provide Remote Early Childhood Education in Hard-to-Access Settings in Lebanon: Impacts From a Randomized Controlled Trial},
	journal = {Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness},
	year = {2024},
	month = {Feb-04-2026},
	pages = {1 - 31},
	abstract = {<p>This paper presents impact findings from a three-arm randomized controlled trial of 1) a brief remote early learning program (RELP) and 2) RELP plus a remote parenting support program entitled Ahlan Simsim Families (ASF), compared to a waitlist control group. Participants are 5\&ndash;6-year-olds and their families and are 96\% Syrian refugees. All live in hard-to-access areas of Lebanon with few early childhood education (ECE) opportunities. RELP is an 11-week, 31-session program delivered via WhatsApp calls and messages. Remote sessions, 35\&ndash;40\&thinsp;minutes each, consist of 5\&ndash;6 caregivers/children and focus on supporting caregivers in implementing ECE curriculum with their children outside of class. ASF consists of 11 sessions (25\&ndash;30\&thinsp;minutes once a week) and covers responsive relationships, early learning, and safety/security. We find large impacts on overall child development, literacy, numeracy, child play, and reported learning interactions (ES: 0.26\&ndash;0.52) for both treatment arms; on motor and social-emotional skills for RELP only (ES: 0.21\&ndash;0.36); and on reported spanking for RELP\&thinsp;+\&thinsp;ASF (twice as likely to say not in past month). Impacts are smaller in magnitude (for all but child play), though not significantly different, when ASF is added.</p>
},
	keywords = {brief ECE, refugee population, Remote ECE, remote IDELA, spartially nested models},
	issn = {1934-5747},
	doi = {10.1080/19345747.2024.2334841},
	url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19345747.2024.2334841},
	author = {Schwartz, Kate and Michael, Duja and Torossian, Lina and Hajal, Diala and Yoshikawa, Hirokazu and Abdulrazzak, Somaia and Youssef, Jamile and Sloane, Phoebe and Hashwe, Siwar and Foulds, Kim and Bowden, Brooks and Hoyer, Kayla and Lee, Sangyoo and Haywood, Athena and Behrman, Jere}
}
