Aanchal ECD podcast

In the latest episode of the Aanchal ECD Podcast, AKU-IED faculty: Yasmeen Mehboob and Silpa Aziz from AKU's Centre for Early Child Development, share insights about the need for daycare services and how a quality daycare centre can contribute positively to children’s holistic development.  They strongly advocate that parents are the children's best caregivers and there is no substitute for the unique role they play. However, given the current economic situation, more and more people find the need for daycare services.

In this episode of the Aanchal podcast, our ECED faculty, Ms Yasmeen Mehboob speaks with Dr Salman Kirmani, Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University. Dr Kirmani highlights the crucial role fathers play in emergencies involving their children, and shares practical ideas to prepare for and reduce the risk of accidents in the home.

In this episode of the Aanchal podcast, Ms Yasmeen Mehboob speaks with Dr Shairose Jessani, Area Manager at ITREB, and a graduate of AKU-IED's PhD in Education programme. Dr Jessani shares she suggests practical suggestions on how parents and caregivers can create an environment that nurtures scientific exploration and inquiry in young children. From simple activities that stimulate observation and critical thinking to fostering a love for experimentation and analysis, she offers actionable tips for incorporating scientific skills into everyday interactions.

In this episode, our ECED faculty, Ms. Yasmeen Mehboob speaks with Ms. Sabina Khatri, Founder and Chairperson, Kiran Foundation; and Honorary Senior Teaching Fellow, AKU-IED. Ms Khatri shares her rich insights about how past childhood events shape children's personality, and suggests ideas and strategies for parents, caregivers and teachers to provide a positive nurturing environment to children in their care. Happy listening! 

In this episode Yasmeen Mehboob speaks with AKU-IED alumna Aniqa Bano who co-founded the 'Narjis Khatoon Hearing Impairment School' with her husband, Afzal Rasool and also currently serves as an Instructor at the Government College of Education for Women, in Skardu. She provides valuable ideas for parents and caregivers to use in their daily caregiving to support children in reaching their full potential; growing up healthy, educated, protected from harm; and living a prosperous life.

In this episode Dr Almina Pardhan and Yasmeen Mehboob speak with musician and distinguished lecturer, Afraaz Adam Mulji. He highlights the powerful role of music for young children’s physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language development.

In today's podcast Dr Almina Pardhan speaks with Ms. Beverly Bicaldo, ECD Regional Advisor for Asia at Aga Khan Foundation. Beverly shares her rich insights about temperament in the early years and suggests ideas for parents and caregivers to understand children's temperament to be able to approach parenting that best supports their child.

In the latest episode of the Aanchal ECD Podcast, Yasmeen Mehboob and AKU Centre for Early Child Development colleagues: Silpa Aziz and Samina Nizar, share insights about the importance of talking, singing and reading with children to make them strong readers and writers. They provide valuable ideas that parents, caregivers and teachers can implement to develop early literacy skills. Today’s podcast is multi-lingual and available for listeners in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages.

In the latest episode of the Aanchal ECD Podcast, Yasmeen Mehboob and AKU Centre for Early Child Development colleagues: Silpa Aziz and Samina Nizar, share insights about the importance of talking, singing and reading with children to make them strong readers and writers. They provide valuable ideas that parents, caregivers and teachers can implement to develop early literacy skills. Today’s podcast is multi-lingual and available for listeners in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages.

In the latest episode of the Aanchal ECD Podcast, Yasmeen Mehboob and AKU Centre for Early Child Development colleagues: Silpa Aziz and Samina Nizar, share insights about the importance of talking, singing and reading with children to make them strong readers and writers. They provide valuable ideas that parents, caregivers and teachers can implement to develop early literacy skills. Today’s podcast is multi-lingual and available for listeners in English, Urdu and Sindhi languages.

In the fifth Aanchal ECD episode, Dr Fozia Parveen, a postdoctoral fellow and adjunct faculty at the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology (WIT) at LUMS, shares insights about the importance of educating young children to care and protect our planet. She provides valuable ideas that parents and caregivers can do everyday to help their children to look after the environment for a sustainable future.

In the fifth Aanchal ECD episode, Dr Fozia Parveen, a postdoctoral fellow and adjunct faculty at the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology (WIT) at LUMS, shares insights about the importance of educating young children to care and protect our planet.  She provides valuable ideas that parents and caregivers can do everyday to help their children to look after the environment for a sustainable future.

In the fourth Aanchal ECD episode, Dr. Almina Pardhan and Yasmeen Mehboob talk about current research on appropriate screen time use for preschool-age children 3-5 years old.  They share guiding principles and ideas for parents and caregivers to manage screen time for their preschool children.

In the fourth Aanchal ECD episode, Dr. Almina Pardhan and Yasmeen Mehboob talk about current research on appropriate screen time use for preschool-age children 3-5 years old.  They share guiding principles and ideas for parents and caregivers to manage screen time for their preschool children.

Episode 3 of our Aanchal ECD Podcast series is a bilingual conversation in English and Urdu on “‘Mathematics for a Better World’ beginning with a strong foundation in early childhood” that we had with Dr Nusrat Fatima Rizvi and Dr Munira Amirali, Assistant Professors at AKU-IED, to mark International Mathematics Day 2021.  Drawing from their rich work and research in Mathematics Education, Dr Nusrat and Dr Munira share insights and ideas with parents and caregivers about how they can support young children to build a strong foundation in mathematics for a better world.

In this episode, Yasmeen Mehboob, translates into Urdu Aanchal's first episode for parents and caregivers from all backgrounds. We hope the information provided in these episodes is easy and accessible for all!

This is the Urdu translation of the introduction to our Aanchal ECD podcast. We aim to make our podcasts accessible to everyone and hope that you will share these nuggets of wisdom with your friends, loved ones and anyone who is a parent or a caregiver!

Episode 2 of our Aanchal ECD Podcast series is a bilingual conversation in English and Urdu on gender equity in early childhood that we had with Dr Dilshad Ashraf, Associate Professor and Head Graduate Programmes at AKU-IED, to mark International Women's Day 2021.  Drawing from her rich work and research in gender and education, Dr Dilshad shares insights and ideas with parents and caregivers of children in the early years about how they can actively ‘choose to challenge’ gender norms and expectations to forge a gender equal world.

In the first Aanchal ECD episode, Dr Almina Pardhan and Yasmeen Mehboob talk about ways to create a daily routine for your young child in a nurturing environment with caring relationships to help make your child's brain healthy and strong now and for the rest of life.

The AKU-IED Aanchal ECD Podcast series is designed for parents and caregivers of young children. Our podcast aims to provide parents and caregivers with relevant best practice ideas and suggestions to raise happy and healthy children. Aanchal is a piece of cloth worn typically by South Asian women like a dupatta (stole or scarf), and that is symbolic of a caregiver cloaking a young baby or child for protection and nurturing. We hope that you will find inspiration, companionship and guidance in our Aanchal ECD Podcast series!