Resources

The ECCD Parenting Kit comprises the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre (now SickKids Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health), Canada, ‘Learning Through Play (LTP)’ Calendars for Birth to 3 Years and 3 to 6 Years, alongside the indigenously developed ‘Joy of Parenting (JOP)’ Guidebook.

The international LTP Calendars are pictorial resources offering well-researched guidance on holistic child development across five key domains: Sense of Self, Physical, Relationships, Understanding, and Communication (SPRUC). They highlight the critical role of positive parent–child relationships in a child’s well-being.

In 2010, the JOP Guidebook was developed in India. This booklet helps explain the calendar illustrations and LTP messages, addressing parents and all those in a parenting role. It explores holistic development through the questions: WHAT children do, WHY they do it, and HOW parents can support further growth. The Guidebook also provides stage-wise information on health, hygiene, nutrition, and safety, with special attention to broader parenting concerns such as school readiness, communication, behaviour management, multiple competencies, and learning difficulties.

The kit is available in English, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Urdu.

Telugu, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam versions are currently in print.

The LTP-IMOW Kit – Birth to 6 Years, developed for BMRRC by Ms. Usha Ramakrishnan, combines the international LTP-IMOW Calendar (developed by the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, now SickKids, Canada) with uniquely designed Oval and Quadrant formats, Checklists, and a User Manual created in India.

The Calendar uses clear, pictorial messages to illustrate a child’s developmental stages and needs from birth to 6 years, focusing on seven domains: Sense of Self, Physical (Gross and Fine Motor), Relationships, Understanding, and Communication (Receiving and Giving Messages).

Recognising that every child develops differently, the kit allows each developmental area to be profiled separately, helping parents and caregivers identify strengths and needs and provide targeted, age-appropriate activities.

The User Manual, ‘Parenting the Child: Understanding and Enabling Development’, empowers parents, professionals, and caregivers to be equal partners in supporting holistic development during the vital early years.

Available in English.

The Behaviour Cards, developed by the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre (now SickKids), Canada, are a valuable parenting resource designed to help parents understand and respond to various types of child behaviour.

This set of 7 bookmarks features simple visuals and universal parenting messages for all.

Available in English.

Tamil and Hindi versions are currently in translation.

The international Learning Through Play Calendars have been indigenised and adapted into two accessible and practical parent education booklets, designed for the Indian socio-economic milieu. These resources use culturally sensitive illustrations to present stage-wise developmental milestones from birth to 6 years, along with positive parenting practices that promote holistic child development.

Each booklet provides clear, stage-specific guidance on health and hygiene, nutrition, safety, and special attention. The Birth to 3 Years booklet covers essential topics such as brain development, pregnancy, and the trimesters, while the 3 to 6 Years booklet offers age-appropriate advice on developing healthy habits and school readiness.

Both resources feature the Life-cycle Approach to Parenting and the SPRUC-E wheel — a visual snapshot of holistic child development across key domains. Additionally, they emphasise the importance of community development, family, and women’s empowerment as integral to early childhood well-being.

The Birth to 3 Years booklet is available in English and Tamil. The 3 to 6 Years booklet is currently available in English.

The LTP – Parenting Flash Cards are based on the visuals of the international Learning Through Play Calendars. This indigenised version was developed in 2005–06 for ICDS Maharashtra and distributed statewide.

The set of 112 vibrant, visual flash cards are colour-coded and highlight key milestones and stimulation activities for each stage of child development from birth to 6 years.

Designed as a text-free, activity-based training tool, these cards are invaluable for early childhood professionals working with parents and caregivers, especially those who are unlettered. The pictorial format encourages open-ended, thought-provoking discussions on all aspects of early childhood care and education.

The set consists of 15 purely visual ante-natal and post-natal flash cards, each illustrating key topics related to parental readiness, such as marriage, parenting, planned parenthood, and pregnancy care and health.

The cards are accompanied by a booklet and training module, featuring supportive pictures and concise one-liners on positive parenting.

Following the ‘Life Cycle Approach’, the cards visually present the DOs and DON’Ts of parenting across the stages of:

  • Planning for Parenthood
  • Welcoming the Infant
  • Nurturing the Child
  • Empowering Women within the Family

These flash cards serve as a valuable training aid for early childhood professionals and are ideal for use in LTPC training programmes.

Available in English.

Tamil and Hindi versions are currently in translation.

The brain development poster is a valuable visual training aid for Parent Education Programmes, illustrating the rapid development of the brain and emphasising the importance of stimulation and positive parenting in the early years.

It features pictorial representations of synapses, wiring, and connectivity, creatively depicted through traditional Indian ‘Kolam’ artwork.

The poster also highlights how brain development and parenting practices impact a child’s overall well-being, including their sense of self and confidence. It presents various family scenarios, both positive and negative, to demonstrate the effects of different parenting approaches.

Available in English and Tamil.

Other Indian languages are currently in translation.

The Toy Manual, ‘Learning to Play – Playing to Learn’, is a practical guide for all those in a parenting role, offering pictorial insights on various toys for ECCD, including tools and guidelines for using them. All these play materials are used in various ways and serve many functions.

The manual also provides instructions for transforming common household items into safe play materials.

The Manual is included as part of the ECCD Parenting Kit.

This collection of short videos is adapted from a series of Parenting Songs composed by Ms. Lakshmi Gopal and performed by the Bala Mandir girls. The songs address a wide range of topics, including the well-being of pregnant women, preparing for and celebrating pregnancy, nutrition, health, welcoming the newborn, and positive parenting practices.

The videos feature songs designed for every stage of early childhood, covering ages from birth to 6 years.

Available in Tamil.

Parenting Videos

The ECCD Parenting pamphlet, developed in 2023, provides a snapshot of:

  • The SPRUC development framework (Sense of Self, Physical, Relationships, Understanding, and Communication)
  • Key information on early brain development
  • Practical parenting messages to support children’s health, learning, and overall growth
  • Stage-specific guidance for birth to 3 years and 3 to 6 years, with targeted parenting responses to promote development across each SPRUC domain

Together, these resources empower families and communities to help every child thrive in their crucial early years.

Available in English, Hindi, and Tamil, and featuring culturally appropriate visuals.

These pamphlets have been developed for wide circulation.

Contact Us for more details.