Early Childhood Education at UP

11/03/2026

What happens when fourth-year student teachers meet a “Bimbulli”?

They listen carefully.
They negotiate meaning.
They build vocabulary.
They speak. A lot.

Recently, our Afrikaans JGL 461 students worked from a simplified story and then created their own Bimbulli characters to strengthen listening and speaking skills in an authentic, playful way.

Language learning should be active. Future teachers need to experience that first-hand.

06/03/2026

We are honoured to share that Dr Kayla Willemse has been appointed as an Emerging Faculty Fellow at the African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria. As part of the Department of Early Childhood Education, UP Faculty of Education, Dr Willemse's work in educational technology (coding and robotics) in early childhood contributes to building an Africa-centred AI ecosystem that bridges academia, industry, and government. AfriDSAI brings together colleagues from health sciences, law, statistics, engineering, education, and more — reflecting the power of transdisciplinary collaboration in shaping responsible AI for Africa. Through AfriDSAI, Dr Willemse looks forward to contributing to an Africa-centric AI and Data Science research agenda that strengthens collaboration across disciplines and advances socially relevant innovation. Learn more about the inaugural Fellows cohort here: https://www.up.ac.za/afridsai/fellows

05/03/2026

05/03/2026

27/02/2026

Dr West provided commentary on the reading crisis in this latest News24 publication.

Education experts have described as “alarming” a finding that 15% of Grade 3 pupils can’t read a single word in their home language by the end of that school year, with one even suggesting that the reading crisis be declared a state of emergency.

26/02/2026

Today was a memorable moment for mathematics education. Representatives from the University of Pretoria, UNISA, and WITS came together to learn how mental mathematics can be made more accessible for pre-service teachers and, ultimately, for school learners.

A special thank you to WITS for hosting the training as part of the Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP).

MSAP is a national initiative focused on strengthening learners’ number sense and mental calculation strategies through structured mental starters and short assessments. Learn more: https://www.education.gov.za/MSAP2022.aspx

We look forward to a second collaborative engagement where we can continue sharing ideas and strengthening our partnership. In the coming months, each institution will plan the implementation of MSAP and explore ways to make mental mathematics meaningful, engaging, and memorable for all.

06/02/2026

It’s nearly lecture time!

UP classes officially start on 9 February 2026. If you haven’t completed your online registration, please register now to avoid delays when lectures begin.

Don’t wait until the last minute, finalise your registration now and be ready for class.

06/02/2026

𝘼 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. 🎉
Orientation week is done and dusted, and your journey officially begins as a ECCE or ECE student in the Faculty of Education. Here’s to learning, growth, friendships, playing, and unforgettable moments.
You’ve got this!

16/10/2025

Celebrating culture through stories! On 6 Oct 2025, UP’s Department of Early Childhood Education hosted our lakeside Early Childhood Story Reading & Telling Event - led by Dr Matlala with African Languages lecturers Ms Masuelele and Ms Zondo. Students arrived in vibrant regalia, sharing stories, poetry, song and dance that honour heritage while building early literacy and imagination.

From traditional snacks to a symbolic radio, the afternoon bridged past and present - and inspired future teachers to use storytelling as a powerful, culturally responsive classroom tool.

Read more: https://www.up.ac.za/early-childhood-education/news/post_3354323-bridging-heritage-pedagogy-the-early-childhood-story-reading-and-telling-event-2026

17/09/2025

On Wednesday, 10 September, the University of Pretoria Mamelodi Campus came alive with energy and creativity as a pilot project on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) rolled out with five passionate early childhood development lecturers. 🌟

Led by Prof. Keshni Bipath, Dr. Kayla Willemse, Dr. Joyce West, and Dr. Nadia Swanepoel, this Sasol-driven initiative is designed to integrate STEAM principles into early childhood education, sparking curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in young learners.

Educators were invited on a journey aboard Professor Pip, the learning train 🚂, where they explored science experiments, dinosaur building, unplugged coding, playful mathematics, dancing, and arts activities. These hands-on sessions not only introduced new concepts but also showed how to make learning engaging and age-appropriate.

The project places collaboration at its core: practitioners shared insights and experiences, building a supportive professional community while equipping themselves with innovative teaching strategies and resources. As they take these ideas into their classrooms, they will observe how STEAM-inspired activities transform children’s enthusiasm for learning and their ability to connect knowledge across different disciplines.

This pilot marks an exciting step toward shaping early childhood education for a dynamic future where STEAM skills are essential. 🚀✨

16/09/2025

A big congratulations to our incredible postgraduate students who graduated at the recent ceremony 🎓✨

We are so proud of Dr Marciline Kanda and Dr David Kumador, who were both awarded their PhDs, and of Ms Nomfundo Brukwe, who completed her Master’s degree.

Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off – what an inspiring achievement! 🌟👏