Coup de Pouce was established 40 years ago by a group of teachers quickly joined by researchers, with the idea of understanding why not all children succeed in the same way at school.
“France is at the very bottom of the OECD list in terms of the impact of social inequalities on children's educational trajectories,” emphasizes Marion Gommard. “Yes, school provides the same education for everyone, but some children do not have the necessary background to benefit from school learning like others.”
This is evident from the very first years of schooling, in the child's relationship with learning. It’s about the meaning, the enjoyment of these learnings, the pleasure of engaging with them. And then there’s the child’s confidence in their ability to succeed at school.
“There are children, starting from kindergarten, from first grade, who are labeled as the 'not good' ones in the class. And that’s terrible; it will follow them throughout their educational journey,” shares Marion Gommard.
Therefore, Coup de Pouce has created programs to address this relationship with learning, which is built not only during class but especially outside of it, with parents, family at home, or during extracurricular time after school and during vacations.
Coup de Pouce designs, with education researchers, extracurricular and after-school programs, to work not on homework or replicating school after school, but rather on the meaning, enjoyment, and confidence of the child, particularly through play, in small groups.
“We can dare to speak up more, taking risks without really taking risks because it’s fun. By winning games regularly, we build self-confidence. And then, by reading a lot, through storytelling that brings great pleasure, we encourage the child to learn to read and write,” explains Marion Gommard.
The strength of the program lies in its ability to create an educational alliance around the child for their success, involving families, teachers, facilitators, and also the municipality, which has the responsibility for extracurricular activities and for which the educational kits and games are provided ready to use in their extracurricular services, which will then use them in schools.
According to parents and teachers, 96% of children have gained confidence in their ability to succeed and understand better the importance of school learning. Moreover, parents also understand better the role they can play in supporting their child’s academic success.
“So that’s also very important for us. It also prevents school dropout. The earlier we start, the greater the impact. It’s about acting from the very first years of schooling, as that’s when a significant part of the child’s trajectory is determined,” concludes Marion Gommard.
