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Supporting early childhood development remotely: Experimental evidence from SMS messages

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  • Hernández-Agramonte, Juan Manuel
  • Namen, Olga
  • Näslund-Hadley, Emma
  • Biehl, Maria Loreto

Abstract

Using a randomized field experiment in Costa Rica, we estimate the effect of providing parents of preschool students with regular text messages offering ways to engage their children in educational activities at home. After 15 weeks of intervention, the cognitive skills of children whose families were assigned to the program were 0.11–0.12 standard deviations higher than the control group. We find suggestive evidence that the effect was driven by an increase in parents’ involvement as they conducted the activities proposed in the text message campaign.

Suggested Citation

  • Hernández-Agramonte, Juan Manuel & Namen, Olga & Näslund-Hadley, Emma & Biehl, Maria Loreto, 2024. "Supporting early childhood development remotely: Experimental evidence from SMS messages," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:166:y:2024:i:c:s0304387823001578
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103201
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Remote education; Early childhood development; Text messages; Parenting; COVID-19; Parental networks; Parental school involvement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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