Ragni Trotta’s Blog

Early Childhood Education in Jamaica

Early Childhood Education in Jamaica

Pre-school children in Jamaica are spread among 2,676 Early Childhood Institutions. There is a low share of public provision of Early Childhood Education through government-run schools, and only 20% attend public Infant Schools. Community-operated Basic Schools and...

Child Poverty and Early Childhood Education in Jamaica

Child Poverty and Early Childhood Education in Jamaica

There are 107,115 children between the ages 3 – 5 year in Jamaica. According to UNICEF, at least 25% of these children are growing up in immense poverty, experiencing hardships that no child should have to endure. Many live in overcrowded housing, routinely suffer...

The Impact of Covid on Education in Jamaica

The Impact of Covid on Education in Jamaica

Jamaica is the largest island in the English-speaking Caribbean with a population of 2.93 million people. During the COVID pandemic, the island’s economy lost 150,000 jobs, pushing 400,000 Jamaicans further into poverty. In the tourism sector alone, more than 50,000...

The Ways Living With Poverty Affects Kids

The Ways Living With Poverty Affects Kids

UNICEF's Director of Programs, Sanjay Wijesekera, reported in 2020 that an alarming 1 in 6 children lived in poverty worldwide. It was also expected that the effects of the pandemic would have a significant impact on the lives of many more kids. As a response,...

How Art Impacts a Child’s Development

How Art Impacts a Child’s Development

You may have seen a kid with smooth, creamy finger paint as she made squiggles with both hands on a paper sheet. You may have also witnessed a child with many crayons as they explored their creativity. These children's expressions were captured as they studied their...

The Little Things…

The Little Things…

The little things that happen in early childhood shape our lives. Already as a very young child, I could read and write. Mostly, this was my mother’s achievement. She understood the importance of Early Childhood Education and diligently read the ABC to me every day from the time I was a baby.

Helping a Child Overcome Reading Anxiety

Helping a Child Overcome Reading Anxiety

Most children learn to read between the ages of 4-5. However, for some children, reading can cause significant bouts of anxiety, especially when tasked with reading aloud. This might be from internal fear or hesitation or even be from a negative experience they are...

Four Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

Four Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

For growing readers, developing reading comprehension skills is vitally important. As children enter new grade levels, they’re likely to be faced with different reading challenges. From textbooks to homework and complex reading assignments, how a child understands...