CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is an important instrument for the development of a nation’s social life, human resources, political awareness and the economy at large. It is clearly stated by the federal republic of Nigeria (1988:15) in her national policy of education that ‘education has been adopted as an instrument for effecting national development: it is in the light of this that the federal government is doing everything possible to see that illiteracy rate is reduced or totally wiped out of the nation because no country can grow beyond the educational level of its citizenry.

Nursery education or early childhood education which is the first stage of formal school system in Nigeria today forms the bedrock of an individual’s education life. This is because the quality of an individual’s subsequent educational prowess depends largely on the quality of nursery education that the individual received. Hence the broad aims of nursery education within Nigeria can be summarized as preparation and laying of strong foundation for primary school and other levels of education in future.

The federal republic of Nigeria (2004), has stated that nursery education is the education given in an educational institution to children between the ages of three (3) and five (5) prior to entering into primary school. Nursery education began as a private enterprise in Nigeria and continued until the year 2003, when the federal government and the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) took inventory of early childhood care facilities in Nigeria and discovered that most of the facilities were privately owned. It was then that the Universal Basic Education (UBE) act (2004) included programmes and initiatives for early childhood education and development in states and local government areas. To make it more effective, the UBE programme made provision for every public school to have a nursery school linkage to cater for children aged 3 – 5 years. This is a period of growth and vulnerability in children. They are extra active at this stage, inquisitive and very curious to know the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of everything they see. It is because of this that teaching and learning process requires a sort of simulation and adequate use of instructional materials to make lessons interesting and meaningful, especially in English language.

The impact of instructional materials in teaching and learning in the school is indisputable. Teaching at any level requires that students be exposed to some form of simulation. Danmola (1992) noted that teaching resources in English language means anything that can assist the teacher in promoting teaching and learning of the subject. When the students are given the chance to learn through more senses than one, they can learn faster and easier.       

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
4. 4. For PROPER paraphrasing (see your university definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)
5. 5. Direct citing (if referenced properly)
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