ABSTRACT
The study attempted to investigate
the effect of pre-primary school education in the speech development of the
primary school child in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. The
descriptive research survey was used in this study to carry out the objective
assessment of the opinions of 200 respondents selected for this study. In
addition, the questionnaire was adopted for the collection of data necessary
for this study. Four null hypotheses were generated and tested in this study,
with the application of both the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the
t-test of independent variable. At the end of the analyses, the following
results emerged:
(1)
Hypothesis one showed that there is a
significant relationship between pre-primary school education and speech
development among children in schools.
(2)
There is a significant difference between
pre-primary school education and children’s school achievement in schools.
(3)
Hypothesis three revealed that no significant
difference exists between the speech development of children taught by parents
and those taught by teachers.
(4)
There is a significant gender difference in
speech development by children due to attendance of pre-primary education.
In the final analysis, it would be
concluded that children will differ in their mother tongues if they passed
through the pre-primary schools than those who did not. It is believed that
children who underwent the pre-primary schools develop faster in their speeches
than those who went to the primary schools without passing through the
pre-primary education. Based on the results, the following recommendations were
made:
The National Policy on Education
should be reviewed to include, among others, the education of the Nigerian
child from 0 – 2 years.
The government should of necessity establish
free pre-primary schools to cater for all Nigerian children of the required
age.
More Teacher Education Schools for
the pre-primary school level should be established to produce the required
number of teachers and steps should be taken to ensure adequate teacher
preparation.
Table of Contents
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
Chapter
One 1
1.0 Introduction/Background
to the Study 1
1.1
Statement of the Problem 4
1.2
Purpose of the Study 6
1.3
Research Questions 6
1.4
Research Hypotheses 7
1.5
Significance of the Study 8
1.6 Scope of the
Study 9
Chapter Two: Literature Review 10
2.0
Introduction
10
2.1
Language and Linguistic Development 10
2.2
Early Childhood Education Curriculum 14
2.3
The Philosophical Bases of Pre-Primary
Education 18
2.4
The National Policy on Pre-Primary
Education 19
2.5
Early Child Care Development and
Education (ECCDE) Project 21
2.6
Characteristics of Early Childhood
Development 22
2.7
Parental Role in Early Childhood
Development 26
2.8
Effect of Pre-Primary Education on
Speech Development of Children 30
2.9
Summary of Review 33
Chapter Three 35
3.0
Research Methodology 35
3.1
Research Design 35
3.2
Population of the Study 35
3.3
Sample and Sampling Technique 35
3.4
Instrumentation 36
3.5
Validity of Instrument 36
3.6
Reliability of the Instrument 36
3.7
Procedure for Data Collection 37
3.8
Data Analysis Procedure 37
Chapter Four: Data Analyses and
Results 38
1.1
Introduction
38
1.2
Descriptive Analysis of Bio-Data According to Sex,
Age, Religion, Qualification, Marital Status and Experience of Respondents
(teachers) 38
1.3
Description
of Teachers’ Responses to the Questionnaire together
with the Research Questions 42
1.4
Descriptive
Analysis of Bio-Data of Students According to their
Sex; Age, Religion and Class 46
1.5
Descriptive
Analysis of Data Collected from Students together with
the Research Questions 47
1.6
Testing
of Hypotheses 52
1.7
Summary
of Findings 55
Chapter Five: Summary,
Conclusions and Recommendations 57
5.1
Introduction
57
5.2
Summary
of the Study 57
5.3
Conclusions
58
5.4
Recommendations 58
References 60
Appendix 64
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction/Background
to the Study
A baby
is in the making as soon as conception takes place. Normally, it takes 9 months
for a full grown baby in the womb to be born into the world, barring all
accidents and pre-mature delivery. A baby right from conception, is a unique
individual with his or her special characteristics, Caplan and Caplan (1995).
According to them, the nature of children is such that no two children are
completely the same or alike in everything not even identical twins. Thus,
there are obvious differences that differentiate one child from another.
Nwagbara (2003), the complexities in children result both from nature and
nurture. Children go through different stages of development that is, from
birth to young adults. This early years from 2 years to 6 years are critical in
their development. During this period, children’s physical, mental and
psychological development take a leap as they are in a constant state of flux.
They are in the process of undergoing great changes and making significant
development strides, especially in the area of language acquisition and
development.
As
Chukwu (2000) puts it, a child first communicates with her mother non-verbally,
but as she starts walking, he/she finds his/her tongue too. As the child starts
walking, it is important for the child to know or learn the language of
communication with adults around the environment. The adult could be the mother,
the father, family members or strangers in the community. This therefore, calls
for the acquisition of words. A toddler for instance, deciphers how important
it is to communicate thus, moves towards those listening and interested adults
who are willing to put a label to her actions.
So,
when for instance, the child picks a ball, he is told the name of what he
picked. More often, the child repeats the word again and again, and the child
becomes pleased with herself that she was able to pronounce the word; he/she
picks up another thing. Thus, the child gradually learns the names of every
objects around her/him. According to Onuoha (1990), language does not just
unfold, it must be learned. For instance, a child needs a teacher; the first
one, being the mother, the father, and or siblings in the home. For example,
the word ‘hot’ may stand for many things to the child. It may mean fire, hot
water, hot food etc. With time, the child may be able to decipher the
difference between fire, hot water, hot food as she would try to visualize
‘hot’ in the absence of these representations of ‘hot’. This of course, will
take place as the child grows older. Also, a child needs to listen, make sound
discrimination, mimic sounds, use them correctly, name objects and arrange words
in a meaningful sequence.
Uzozie
(1984) opined that it is amazing how a child acquires languages in the very
early years, especially if he/she has no brain damage or speech impairment or
even psychic disorders.
Nwagbara
(2000) is of the opinion that the vocabulary acquisition during early childhood
spans from 12 months with an average number of 3 words to 72 months with an
average number of 2562 (two thousand, five hundred and sixty two) words. So,
children to speak without any deliberate instruction needed to read or write.
Much of what they say, have their own rules and often not the same as in adult
and speech. Research in this area supports the theory that children do not
acquire grammar through practice or imitation like adults do. They have their own
rules of grammar. For example, “it does not run”, becomes “not run”. This
conforms to their idea of negative statement or sentence. Even when adults give
past tense of eat as ate, children will add ‘ed’ to it saying ‘eated’ and stick
to it.
Caplan
and Caplan (1999) claim that there are many theories about how very young
children develop linguistic strategies and learning abilities during their
critical period of learning to communicate. According to them, one theory that
gets little attention is that children acquired language when they discover the
power to play. At this stage, they fantasize and practice language combinations
and grammar without fear of failure. They advised that the significant adults
should capitalize on this period to introduce songs and rhymes to them as they
carry this special sensitivity to their adult life. All sections of language:
sounds, grammar, rhythm and rhymes – lend themselves to play. It is only
natural that children at this early childhood period, 2 – 6 years discover these
play potentials in their emerging language acquisition.
It is
believed that children’s reading matter should be linked to their own spoken
language as well as to their interest and experiences for intellectual growth.
The focus on the cognitive growth of children is a welcome development
(Anyanwu, 1991). This is because the brain of a youngster is “tabula rasa”
ready to be occupied. Realizing that, educators go into searching for the
appropriate stimuli that can yield the best result for the children. Webber
(1970) opines that it must be recognized that something can be done about
children’s intelligence as a result of the type of experiences provided for
them.
Aiyedun
(1984) is of the opinion that story books provide such experiences that can
make for the intellectual growth of children. According to him, stories provide
and improve reading, writing and thinking skills especially as they stimulate
the intellect. Stories foster understanding of human actions. Just one story
can form the bases for more detailed exploration of other actions. Selected
experiences as reflected in story books give children the opportunity to use
words that are familiar to them through their family life. Children are thus
encouraged to extend vocabulary appropriately. Not only that they learn the
vocabulary of colours, shapes, textures etc early in life as their story books
are almost always pictorial. For the intellectual development of children,
story books give the practice of the four language skills – listening,
speaking, reading and writing. They also help children to learn new words as
well as alternative meanings of words contextually. This is possible,
especially if the language of the stories is not too simple.
According
to Ejiogu (1991), stories enrich language use, and gives opportunity for the
acquisition of precarious experiences as children learn to identify with
characters and learn how others feel. They also help release tension and
enlarge experiences of the world especially when introduced at the appropriate
time to children. For example a child may compare a bird he/she has seen in the
garden to the one he/she has seen in the story book, and may ask his/her
teacher to clarify on the aspect that is confusing to him/her. This provides
shared experiences leading to greater understanding of birds. Thus, inculcating
the habit of reading story books which in increases the intellectual level of
children as well as their linguistic competence.
1.1
Statement of the
Problem
Language
acquisition is of paramount importance in the life of a child. This is because
any child with one form of language or the other in the society, cannot be
expected to be a normal child.
Often
times, most parents, especially mothers who are supposed to be the first
teachers of their children fail to inculcate the habit of reading story books
by their young ones so as to acquire the use of words fast and accurately. No
wonder children of these days instead of learning good spoken words from their
parents and significant others, rather learn bad languages from their peers due
to the fact that they were not taught the proper and appropriate language use
and or application.
Many
children fail to develop the appropriate language skill may be because their
teachers in the school, their parents at home have lost the focus and have
failed to see the need in assisting the child to develop his/her linguistic
prowess or skills which is very important in human life. As children were not
taught by those who are in position to teach how to develop appropriate language
skills, these children grow up loosing the grip of either their mother tongue
or the English Language which is the second official language of instruction to
the child.
Children
do not know or master speeches due to the fact that the teachers who teach them
at the primary school do not have the mastery content or the methods with which
to teach these children and develop their speech. For the fact that children’s
speeches are not developed at the grassroots, it affected them even at the
adult age. This is why many adults find it difficult to speak fluently either
in the private or public arenas.
At the
primary stage of development in the lives of most children, they were not
taught or directed by older persons or the significant others in the society or
at the school, and by their teachers on the appropriate way to develop their
language for later life in adolescence and adulthood. The poor language –
teaching and poor speech development among primary children is therefore, the
issue that gave rise to the investigation of this study.
1.2
Purpose of the
Study
This
study sets out to examine the effect of pre-primary school education on the
speech development of the primary school child.
Other
specific objectives include:
(1) To examine whether there is relationship
between pre-primary school education and speech development among children in
schools.
(2) To investigate whether there is a
difference between pre-primary school education and speech development among
children in schools.
(3) To differentiate between the speech
development of children who were taught by their parents and those who were
taught by teachers.
(4)
To investigate whether there is general difference in the
speech development of children who had pre-primary education and those who did
not.
1.3 Research Questions
The
following research questions will be asked in this study thus:
(1) Is there any relationship between
pre-primary school education and speech development among children in schools?
(2) To what extent can there be any difference
between pre-primary school education and speech development among children in
schools?
(3)
How can we differentiate between the speech development of
children who were taught by their parents and those who were taught by their
teachers?
(4)
How can we investigate whether there is general difference
in the speech development of children who had pre-primary education and those
who did not?
1.4 Research Hypotheses
The
following research hypotheses will be formulated and tested in this study:
2.
There will be no significant relationship between
pre-primary school education and speech development among children in schools.
3.
There will be no significant difference between pre-primary
school education and children’s school achievement in schools.
4.
There will be no significant difference between the speech
development of children who were taught by their parents and those who were
taught by teachers.
5.
There will no significant gender difference in the speech
development of children due to pre-primary education.
1.5 Significance of the Study
The
study will be of great benefit to the following individuals:
(1) Children will benefit from the findings and
recommendations of this study because it will help their teachers and parents
to be in good positions to help in teaching or instructing them on the
appropriate language to be learned in their communities.
(2) With the recommendation of this study,
teachers would be exposed to know how best to go about teaching or handling
children at the lower level of our school system, the primary school. Not only
that, they would be exposed to the appropriate methods to be used in teaching
language to the child in school, especially at the primary school system.
(3) Parents would have a better insight on the
essence of teaching the child to gain mastery of the language of his/her
environment. Most parents do not know that they are the first teachers of the
child at home. This study will expose them to the knowledge that they should be
the first people to impart knowledge to the child, especially concerning
children’s language development. With this study and its recommendations,
parents would be able to know the best techniques to be always used in teaching
language to the children.
(4) The society will be exposed to the proper
knowledge of language acquisition to the child in the society. With the
recommendations, the society will be able to know how best to assist the child
in the area of acquisition and mastery of language.
1.6 Scope
of the Study
This
study will cover all the schools (primary) in Mainland Local Government Area of
Lagos State. Its main focus will be on the investigation of the effect of
preprimary education on speech development of the child in the primary school.
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