Exploring how play-based learning strengthens early childhood education across diverse Indian contexts.
Care and education in the early years are critical to a child’s development and long-term outcomes. This area has gained renewed focus in India, particularly after the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 stated that the foundational years (3 to 8 years) are most vital for ensuring holistic development, and the country must strive to achieve optimal outcomes for all the children in this age group in different domains of their development.
Azim Premji University’s Education for the Foundational Stage: Play and Early Learning Environment brings together a diverse set of articles that explore the role of play in early learning across varied contexts in India. The collection is part of a broader initiative to strengthen foundational education by documenting both research and ground-level practice.
In the twelfth article, titled “Supporting Quality Early Childhood Education in Anganwadis of Karnataka through a Play-Based Learning Approach: A Collaborative Effort with the Government,” Chitkalamba N. documents Kalike and Tata Trusts’ collaborative effort with the Government of Karnataka to implement a play-based curriculum in Anganwadi centres. Drawing on her extensive experience in early childhood development, Chitkalamba outlines various considerations for large-scale implementation of the approach.
Chitkalamba N. (PhD), is the Programme Head of Early Childhood Development (ECD) at Kalike, which anchors the Parag Initiative. She is a developmental specialist in designing interventions, training, curriculum development, and evaluation in early childhood education (ECE). She is part of the Karnataka state expert group and plays a pivotal role in conceptualising and implementing large-scale ECE programmes across the Kalyana Karnataka region.
The publication is available under a Creative Commons license.
