The Impact Of Early Childhood Education On The Pupils Later Educational Ability In Selected Primary Schools Of Mbogoini Division, Subukia District In Kenya

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the impact of early childhood education on the

pupil's later educational ability in Mbogoini division, Subukia district.

The following objectives guided the study: to establish if the pupils who

have attended pre-school were any better than those who did not

academically; to find out if the former pre-school pupils were more

proficient in language skills than those who did not, to assess the level of

social interactions of former preschoolers in comparison with those who

failed to attend the program and to assess the attitude pf former preschoolers

towards their educational progress in comparison with those

who did not. The respondents used in the study were teachers, parents

who filled a semi-structured questionnaire containing items which had

been formulated from the objectives and sample was selected randomly.

Findings showed that 53% of the teachers were in agreement that those

children who had attended pre-school were better in the above

mentioned aspects of performance. 31 % disagreed and 16% did not

know. Findings in the study suggest that 65% of the teachers were in

agreement that those children who had attended preschool were better in

reading skills than their counterparts who were just beginning the task.

This greatly contributes to their academic progress. Also if a child can

easily express her /his self then she/ he is most likely to grasp much in

class, relate healthily with other children. Recommendations were also

made. Teachers need some formal training in early childhood education.

This is because without the appropriate skills and knowledge the

teachers can not effectively help the young child to develop appropriately

for those ones in the field. The government of Kenya should be

integrated in free primary education in order to attract parents, to take their children to ECD centers.