Ahlan Simsim Findings
Key learnings from our studies include:
Our research in the Ahlan Simsim initiative shows that several of its programs have had substantial impact on children’s language, numeracy, and social-emotional development. Findings from three randomized controlled trial (RCT) impact evaluations demonstrate that flexible, user-centered, evidence-based and culturally relevant early childhood services integrated with media content can support a wide range of child development outcomes, strengthen children’s learning at school and at home, and support lifelong positive outcomes - all with significant implications for delivering early learning in humanitarian and other contexts where traditional in-person schooling is not possible.
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In Lebanon, Ahlan Simsim's 11-week remote preschool program with educational media integrated into the curriculum produced statistically and developmentally significant impacts on children, particularly for literacy, numeracy, social-emotional, and motor skills, comparable to a year of in-person preschool programs. The results of the program, which was implemented remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, show the tremendous potential of this approach to remote preschool with implications for contexts where in-person services aren’t possible, whether due to a pandemic, conflict, natural disaster, or in rural or low-resource settings.
Learn more about our evaluation of the remote early learning program in Lebanon
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Watching the Ahlan Simsim TV show significantly increased children’s ability to identify emotions and apply a simple regulation and coping strategy. These "emotional ABCs” form a crucial foundation for all young children, but especially those who have experienced adversity. The findings from a study conducted in Jordan underscore the ability of educational mass media to achieve key learning outcomes while reaching children at scale.
Learn more about our evaluation of the Ahlan Simsim TV show
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Though a brief, phone-based, audio-only parenting intervention in Jordan, adapted as a remote version of a home visiting program in response to COVID-19, did not show impacts on parent behaviors or child outcomes, it did reduce caregiver depression. Program’s facilitators were trained in responsive listening and non-judgmental rapport and used these skills during well-being check-ins with caregivers. These were key drivers of the reductions in depressive symptoms and offer insight on ways that remote programming can encourage caregiver mental health.
Learn more about our evaluation of the audio-only remote parenting program
Findings from remote early learning program evaluation in Lebanon
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It evaluates the impact of an 11-week remote early learning program (RELP) delivered alone and in combination with Ahlan Simsim Families (ASF), a parenting support program. Key takeaways include RELP and RELP+ASF had significant positive impacts on emergent literacy and numeracy and overall child development as well as on child play. RELP had significant, positive impacts on social-emotional and motor skills. Also, The size of the impacts found on child development is in the range of those seen in evaluations of in-person preschool from around the world, suggesting that RELP is a viable alternative to support children in places where in-person preschool is not feasible.
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التي تعرقل تنفيذ البرامج حضورياً إلا أن المعلومات حول آثار برامج تنمية الطفولة المبكرة المقدمة عن بُعد تعتبر قليلة. في عام 2020، قامت اللجنة الدولية للإغاثة بتكييف برنامج التربية الذي يتم تقديمه حضوريًا على شكل زيارات منزلية ليتم تقديمه عن بُعد عبر مكالمات هاتفية صوتية فقط، مما أتاح فرصة فريدة لتقييم برنامج تربوي مقدم عن بعد. البرنامج الحضوري الأصلي الذي تم تعديله يُدعى "Reach up and Learn-RUL" وقد قدمته اللجنة الدولية للإغاثة من عام 2016 حتى بداية عام 2020 في أجزاء من الأردن، واستهدف كلًا من المربين الأردنيين والسوريين. تم إجراء التعديلات لتقديمه عن بُعد كاستجابة للجائحة وكجزء من مبادرة "أهلاً سمسم" بالتعاون مع "ورشة سمسم".
Findings from mass media evaluation in Jordan
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This study is one of the first causal impact evaluations of a mass media program that is: 1) designed for countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) affected by the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis and 2) focused on preschool-age children’s emotional development. This study found positive impacts on children’s: 1) knowledge of the Ahlan Simsim TV show and characters, 2) expressive emotion recognition (ability to correctly state a pictured emotion), 3) ability to identify others’ emotions in specific social scenarios, and 4) mentions of breathing strategies as a way to manage strong emotions, one of six emotion regulation strategies targeted in the curated Ahlan Simsim curriculum.
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تعد هذه الدراسة من أولى الدراسات التي من شأنها تقييم الأثر السببي لبرنامج إعلامي 1) تم تصميمه لبلدان الشرق الأوسط المتأثرة بالنزاع السوري وأزمة اللاجئين و 2) يركز على التطور العاطفي لدى الأطفال في المرحلة التمهيدية. وجدت الدراسة تأثيرات إيجابية على الأطفال فيما يتعلق ب: ١) معرفة برنامج أهلا سمسم وشخصياته ٢) التعرّف العاطفي المعبرّ (القدرة على تحديد العواطف المصورة بشكل صحيح) ٣) القدرة على تحديد عواطف الآخرين في سيناريوهات اجتماعية محددة ٤) ذكر استراتيجية التنفس كطريقة إدارة العواطف القوية وهي إحدى استراتيجيات تنظيم العواطف الست التي يركز عليها منهج "أهلًا سمسم".
Findings from audio-only caregiver program in Jordan
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Though extremely relevant for humanitarian and crisis situations, when in-person programs are difficult, very little is known about the impacts of audio-only remote caregiver programs. When the International Rescue Committee (IRC) adapted an in-person home-visiting parenting program in 2020 to be delivered remotely, via audio-only phone calls, it created a unique opportunity to evaluate an audio-only remote caregiver program. The original in-person program, Reach Up and Learn (RUL), had been delivered by the IRC from 2016 to early 2020 in parts of Jordan, targeting both Jordanian and Syrian caregivers. The remote adaptation was made in response to the pandemic and as part of the Ahlan Simsim initiative, in partnership with Sesame Workshop.
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قامت الدراسة بتقييم أثر برنامج التعلم المبكر عن بُعد RELP وهو برنامج تمّ تقديمه لمدة 11 أسبوعًا بشكل منفرد و بالاقتران مع برنامج عائلات أهلًا سمسم ASF الذي يدعم أساليب تربية الأطفال. وفقًا لنتائج الدراسة، أدى التدخلان RELP و RELP+ASF الى تأثيرات إيجابية كبيرة على المهارات القرائية الناشئة، والمهارات الحسابية الناشئة، وتطور الطفل بشكل عام، وعلى لعب الأطفال أيضًا، في حين ظهرت تأثيرات إيجابية كبيرة على المهارات الاجتماعية/العاطفية والمهارات الحركية على المجموعة الّتي تلقّت RELP منفردًا. تبيّن أن حجم تأثيرات RELP على نمو وتطور الطفل هو ضمن نطاق التأثيرات التي ظهرت في التقييمات الحضورية في دور الحضانة في أنحاء العالم، مما يشير إلى أنه من الممكن استخدام البرنامج كبديل قابل للتطبيق لدعم الأطفال في المناطق التي يكون فيها التعليم الحضوري غير ممكن.
The Ahlan Simsim Initiative
Ahlan Simsim (“Welcome Sesame” in Arabic), is an initiative created by Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to deliver early childhood development and learning to children affected by conflict and crisis in the Middle East. Launched with the support of the MacArthur Foundation’s first-ever $100 million 100&Change award, and additional support from the LEGO Foundation, Ahlan Simsim is the largest early childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian response, reaching more than 1 million children through direct early childhood services and playful learning in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria and over 23 million children across the Middle East and North Africa through a locally produced Arabic language version of Sesame Street.
