Life Skills Education Toolkit

14 • PART TWO: FACILITATOR’S GUIDE

The Child-to-Child approach to learning respects

children’s rights. It is a unique approach to learning

because it promotes the following principles:

• Children can take action to improve their own
  lives and that of their families and communities;


• Children can participate in planning,
  implementing and evaluating activities;


• Children set priorities about the problems
  they want to work on, while adults facilitate
  and provide opportunities for children to
  accomplish these goals. As a result, learning
  is linked to actual problems;


• Participation from children and facilitation
  from caring and responsible adults are
  equally emphasized;
  
  
  • All activities are expected to promote the
    child’s best interests and do not place him
    or her in a vulnerable or exploitative
    situation;
  
  
  • Many stakeholders are involved to help
    create an enabling and supportive
    environment for children; and
  
  
  • The Six Step process promotes the
    development of life skills.
    Although the Child-to-Child approach began with
    an older child conveying health messages to a
    younger child, the method has evolved to include a
    variety of ways in which children communicate
    with each other. These include:
  
  
  
  

One child

Or

A pair of children or a

small group of

children

Or

A large group of

children

Spreads knowledge

Teaches skills to

Demonstrates by

example to

Performs an activity to

Works together with

Children of younger age

A same-age child or

children

Family/families

(including brothers,

sisters, parents,

grandparents)

Specific people in the

community (including

health and education

professionals and

government

representatives at

local levels)