INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA AND PRESCHOOLERS’ READING READINESS IN PUBLIC EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRES IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between instructional media and preschoolers’ reading readiness in public Early Childhood Centres in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Four research questions and four null hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. Correlational research design was used for this study. The population of the study consisted of all 490 caregivers and 3,723 ECC II pupils in all the 49 public primary schools in Uyo Local Government Area. A sample size of 280 comprising 40 caregivers and 240 ECC II pupils selected through simple sampling technique were used for the study. The instruments used for data collection in this study were Instructional Media Questionnaire (IMQ) and Reading Readiness Assessment Test (RRAT). This was personally administered by the researcher with the help of teachers who served as research assistants. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used for answering the research questions by comparing the values with the extent scale of correlation also used for testing the hypotheses by comparing it with the critical-r-value at .05 level of significance. The findings revealed significant relationship between instructional media in respect to (print, audio, visual, audio-visual) and preschoolers’ reading readiness in public Early Childhood Centres in Uyo Local Government Area. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others, that teachers should utilise instructional media in classroom instruction. Using instructional media in classroom instruction helps pupils to retain and remember what they had learnt as those media appeal to the five sensory organs.