Early Languageand Literacy Skills of Kindergarten Pupils as Assessed By Kindergarten Teachers in Batangas City East District, Division of Batangas City

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Early language and literacy (reading and writing) development are closely linked to a child's earliest experiences with books and stories. Early literacy plays a vital role in enabling the kind of early learning experiences linked with academic achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates, and enhanced productivity in adult life. The researcher thought to help in realizing the purpose of enhancing the language and literacy skills of kindergarten learners, through the use of different activities come up with this study. The researcher thought to help in realizing the purpose of enhancing the language and literacy skills of kindergarten learners, through the use of different activities come up with this study.

METHODS

A descriptive research design was employed by this study. It is defined descriptive research as a purposive process of gathering, analyzing, classifying and tabulating data about the prevailing conditions, practices, beliefs, processes, trends and cause-and-effect relationships and then making an adequate and accurate interpretation of such data with or without the aid of statistical tools.

RESULTS

The research showed that amongst the fifteen (15) Kindergarten teachers in Batangas City East District, Division of Batangas City, the skills utilized for Kindergarten learners were reading, writing, listening and speaking. Furthermore, the findings of the research demonstrated through the data gathered from the respondents, that oral language, phonology awareness, book, and print orientation, alphabet knowledge, word recognition, handwriting, and fluency has a great extent as domains of early language and literacy skills for Kindergarten learners.

DISCUSSIONS

Language and literacy are distinct yet highly related components of early learning. Through language development, children acquire the tools to communicate ideas with others. The early language and literacy compose of different domains. The assessment of developing literacy skills can serve to identify those children who may be at risk for later reading difficulties. Furthermore, assessment can guide the content and delivery of early literacy instruction. The researcher who is a kindergarten teacher believes that failure to identify learners' difficulty in early time and without providing intervention in promoting emergent literacy skills is likely to have a serious repercussion for later development of conventional reading skills.