Abstract

The research study was entitled “Play and its Role on the Educational Progress of Nursery School Kids in the Limbe Central Sub-Division”. The purpose of this study was to find out some of the aspect of play that affects the educational progress of Nursery School Kids.

The researcher formulated four questions to guide the study. The researcher reviewed theories on the work of Vygostky, Piaget and Bruner. The sample size was made up of “22” teachers from four nursery schools in Limbe Sub-Division. The researcher uses the random sampling technique to draw the sample.

Questionnaires were used in collecting relevant information and the data from the respondents was analyzed using percentages. From the finding it was realized that the entire alternative hypotheses were retained. Based on the result obtained from the research, some recommendations were made to the teachers, parents and the government and conclusions was reached.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This study was aimed at looking at play and its role on the educational progress of nursery school kids within Limbe Central sub – Division. It will carry five chapters. Chapter one will carry sub headings like background of the study, research objectives, research questions, research hypothesis, and delimitation of the definition of key terms.

Background To The Study

Play refers to non – serious activity one engage in for enjoyment regardless the end result. Play is what we do when we do not have to follow directions, a routine or meet other people expectations. It provides pleasure and a spontaneous play act as a method of teaching. It is based on the idea that the child is naturally creative and that he / she learns much as he / she plays. Play is the best way for young children to learn concept, skills and task needed to develop their cognitive, physical and social abilities. Play is the most efficient powerful and productive way to learn the information young children need. First children progress through stages of play and through levels of play.

As children master new concepts and practice those through repetitive plays. They progress to the next level in essence. Through play, children create their own curriculum also. They learn who and what they are and discover what they can do. Play among children reflects the characteristics of their society, that is where the society is aggressive and violent the children follow and where it is gentle and peace loving.

Play a very important factor that influence children growth as educational experience. Play is one of the teaching strategies necessary to use in the classroom for children understanding. To Ann Brewer (1998) say teachers have a choice when dealings hot to present information or new concepts to children. Some information must be presented in a teacher directed format for example safety rules such as those about fire can not be explored, they must be stated firmly but generally speaking, telling is the least successfully strategy for presenting information to young children.

Even the young child can repeats words or phrases but verbal responses only indicates that she has learned the words. Such responses don’t measure the child understanding at all. Play is one of the teachings strategies available to teacher as they play for children learning.

In Cameroon, the history of nursery education could be traded as far back as 1951 when a small group of woman (COC) expatriates wives in Bota Limbe agreed to start a join play group for children of two years and above, but were below primary school age. This play group was considered to be more economical to them than of managing the children separately in their individual homes.

These groups were operating in individual homes and rotated from one home to another. This gave chances to alls mothers to take turns catering for the children on the behalf of others, until a Parent National Union (P.N.D) was formed in 1955 to carter for the children of expatriates and high senior staffs between the ages two and six years in this, wise play was initiated.

Montessori (1870-1952) saw the value of play in children in the process of learning. As an Italian medical doctor, she develops a program of activities based on plays equipment designed for the training of the senses. To hers children should be involved in spontaneous learning activities, practical sensory and format skill exercises. Her program of activities base on plays yielded a good result since her pilot group which was based on handicapped children performed better than some normal children in some schools. This experience forms the basis for play way method.

Froebel (1782 – 1852) is regarded as the father of play when he founded the kindergarten. He recognized this method when he found out that children were naturally very creative from the toys he gave them than being receptive, he emphasized that instruction should be based on self activity, play and imitation.

In Cameroon, nursery schools play is one of the teaching strategies used by teachers to impact knowledge in the young children, since they are curious and active, the need to discover things for themselves. After teaching verbally, by a teacher some skills, concepts, the teacher gives room for children to door practice it through play.

For example after teaching children how to dress up, the teacher gives them room to do so by organizing a kind of plays like role plays where they will learn how to dress up. Again during story telling or moral instruction where children are being told stories of all kind, the children are given the chance to practice what has been taught through play. For example, in socio dramatic in the story learning through playing really makes children to develop different skills and they developed physically, socially and cognitively.

Statement Of The Problem

Generally it has been discovered that many parents and teachers restrict children from playing. This is because they believe play is a waste of time, off task behaviour, needless, massy, noisy, unstructured and uneducational. In the field as a student teacher, during my observation, I discovered that children in nursery school like play and they involve themselves in many different types of play.

During their play, teachers shout at them, some evens restrict the children from playing. It is based on this fact that the researcher wants to find out role of play on the educational progress of nursery school kids or play and its role on the educational progress of nursery school kids.

Objectives Of The Study

General research objective: this study is to find out play and its role on the educational progress of nursery school kids.

Specific Research Objective

1. To find out if socio-dramatic play influences the educational progress of nursery school kids.
2. To find out whether instructional play has an effect on the educational progress of nursery school kids
3. To find out if manipulative play has an effect on the educational progress of nursery school kids
4. To find out if peer group plays a role in the educational progress of nursery school kids.

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