Antonia A. Akahara Pre-Primary Education in Nigeria

Annotation

This book, PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: METHODS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING, adopts an integrated approach to understanding and teaching pre-primary school children. Though not so common in Nigeria, this approach is practiced in countries around the world and it yields the highest dividends and most sustained gains for children, their families and communities. The early childhood curriculum guidelines which address all the critical areas of early childhood care, such as we have in Nigeria, may be better implemented by using the integrated approach. In the introduction the book highlights some specific areas prescribed by the 2005 National Policy for Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) in Nigeria. These include: (a) Curriculum Innovations (b) Facilitating Innovations in curriculum, teaching and learning activities and hobbies (c) Specific roles and functions of education which include ensuring compliance and innovations in minimum standards and prescriptions, especially as they relate to IECD curriculum development programs and activities. [See Chapter 1] To achieve these prescriptions and other objectives, the book presents different ways of learning by pre-school children through play way methods using many activities from different themes with examples and illustrations. It shows how these themes and goals are achieved using the integrated approach and through play and creativity in the classroom. It shows how the classroom is innovatively and creatively organized and arranged with different learning and interest centres to facilitate learning and the achievement of the stated objectives. In summary, the book is designed to provide the teacher of young children a practical and result-oriented avenue for implementing the best quality education at this level, based on any available curriculum guide and more. The book includes detailed discussions on various methods and procedures for teaching various topic areas for pre-school learning. It emphasizes the play way method as opposed to lecture method or talk-and-chalk way of teaching, which is not suitable for young children. Play and its uses and various components are highlighted. The book illustrates how the use of learning and interest centres helps children enjoy learning and develop as total individuals and how this makes them become the best they can be and develop interest and love for school and learning.