USING STORIES TO IMPROVE PUPILS’ LISTENING SKILLS AMONG KINDERGARTENS TWO (K G 2) PUPILS AT ANGLICAN PRIMARY SCHOOL.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to use stories to improve the listening skills of kindergarten two (K G 2) students at an Anglican primary school. The study’s total population consists of 200 staff members from various primary schools in Accra, Ghana. The researcher collected data using questionnaires as the instrument.

This study used a descriptive survey research design. The study included 133 respondents, including headmasters, headmistresses, teachers, and junior staff. The collected data was organized into tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies.

chapter One

Introduction

1.1The Study’s Background

Many Ghanaian children start primary school at the age of six, and these children are still in their early childhood. According to the World Bank (2011), the early childhood period is the most rapid period of human development. Although each child develops at his or her own pace, all children go through a predictable sequence of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth and change.

Physically, six-year-old children have improved use of all of their body parts, allowing for better gross and fine motor skills, as well as increased awareness of their body positions and movements. They are socially interested in their peers’ opinions and abilities, both for social comparison and to make friends. They also have strong emotional bonds with important adults in their lives, such as teachers.

Emotionally, they are not good at accurately understanding another person’s emotions, which may play a role in the reduction of aggressive and disruptive behaviors among primary school children (Tornlinson, 2009). Intellectually, Anthony (2014) noted that they are nearing the end of Piaget’s preoperational period, which is the time when children learn to use language. The majority of children’s thoughts and communications are egocentric (about themselves). Animism is another important characteristic that children exhibit during this stage.

The belief that inanimate objects have human feelings and intentions is known as animism (McLeod, 2012). While some of this thinking actually fosters creativity, encouraging the development of a child’s schema (her foundation knowledge) around animals and habitats is an excellent way to advance the child’s thinking and understanding of the world (Anthony, 2014)

Also, because children of this age are concrete learners (Thomlinson, 2009), learning should be supplemented with a variety of visuals or real-world objects in the classroom. One of the goals of primary education in Ghana is to instill permanent literacy and effective communication skills (FGN, 2004). Literacy establishes a solid foundation for a lifetime of opportunities. Literacy in primary school entails developing oral and written communication skills in all subject areas.

Primary school students can improve their literacy skills through instruction and practice in the areas of speaking, reading, writing, and listening (Grayson, 2013). Listening is the process of receiving information through the sense of hearing and interpreting what is heard. Young children benefit from listening comprehension because it prepares them for later reading comprehension (Jalongo, 2008).

This could be why Brown (2012) believes it is critical for a child to develop good listening skills in order to cope with the academic demands of school and to learn adequate literacy skills. Listening ability assists children in guiding their self-inquiry and discovering their unique possibilities. Active listeners can incorporate what they hear more quickly into their knowledge framework than passive listeners.

Tramel (2011) observed that children can improve their concentration and memory when they develop good listening skills. Because of all the language skills that young children develop, listening is the one that develops the earliest and is practiced the most frequently (Roskos, Christie and Richgels, 2003). According to studies on children’s listening, both in and out of school, between 50 and 90 percent of children’s communication time is devoted to listening (Wolvin and Coakely 2000; Gilbert, 2005).

Listening is essential for a child’s development of other skills, such as survival, social, and cognitive abilities. Wolvin and Coakley (2000, p. Listening comprehension is regarded as one of the skills most predictive of long-term academic success (Brigman, Lane and Switzer, 2001). Isbell, Sobol, Lindauer, and Lowrance (2004), Gallets (2005), and Philips (2000) discovered that storytelling improves children’s listening skills in their studies.

Despite the numerous benefits of teaching children to listen, an examination of the teaching and learning activities in our primary schools revealed that it is not given adequate attention. According to Smith (2003), despite the fact that listening is the most commonly used language skill, it is the one that is taught the least in the classroom.

Listening may have been neglected or poorly taught due to the misconception that it is a passive skill and that simply exposing learners to spoken language provides adequate instruction in listening comprehension (Call, 1985). What many people don’t realize is that stories with illustrations are essential for teaching children to listen.

Tales and stories are effective and useful listening materials for children to develop both their first and second language listening comprehension and literacy (Zevenbergenn and Whitehurst, 2003). One of the oldest methods of communicating ideas and images is through storytelling (Mello, 2001). Young children in traditional African societies were told stories by their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts.

Folktales, according to Omoleye (1977), played an important role in Nigerian community life. Despite the fact that the stories were unwritten, they have been passed down through generations without losing their uniqueness. As important as storytelling is for young children’s education, it is not given adequate attention in primary schools (Mello, 2001 and Philip 2000).

It has been observed that children spend more time with electronic media and less time listening to stories because parents’ lives are so hectic that they no longer have time to read bedtime stories to their children (TalkTalk Group, 2011); instead, they prefer their children to spend their evenings watching television and playing games (Paton, 2012).

Statement Of the problem

One of the oldest methods of communicating ideas and images is through storytelling (Mello, 2001). Young children in traditional African societies were told stories by their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. Tales and stories are effective and useful listening materials for children to develop both their first and second language listening comprehension and literacy (Zevenbergenn and Whitehurst, 2003).

It has been observed that children spend more time with electronic media and less time listening to stories because parents are so busy that they no longer have time to read bedtime stories to their children (TalkTalk Group, 2011), preferring their children to spend their evenings watching television and playing games.

Based on this, the researcher wishes to investigate Using stories to improve students’ listening skills in kindergarten two (K G 2) students at Anglican primary school.

The study’s objective

The study’s objectives are as follows:

To see if stories improve students’ listening skills in kindergarten two (K G 2) at an Anglican primary school.
To investigate the impact of gender on the listening abilities of kindergarten two (K G 2) students at an Anglican primary school.
To determine the impact of stories on students’ academic performance.
Hypotheses for research

The following items have been proposed for testing:

H0: Stories do not improve listening skills in kindergarten two (K G 2) Anglican primary school students.

H1: Stories improve listening skills in kindergarten two (K G 2) students at an Anglican primary school.

H0: There is no effect of stories on students’ academic performance.

H2: Stories have an effect on students’ academic performance.

The study’s importance

The study will be very important to Ghanaian students and the Ministry of Education. The study will provide a clear understanding of the Using stories to improve students’ listening skills among kindergarten two (K G 2) students at Anglican primary school. The study will be used as a resource for other researchers who will be working on a similar topic.

The study’s scope and limitations

The study’s scope includes Using stories to improve students’ listening skills in kindergarten two (K G 2) at an Anglican primary school. The researcher encounters some constraints that limit the scope of the study, which are as follows:

The researcher’s research material is insufficient, limiting the scope of the study.

The study’s time frame does not allow for broader coverage because the researcher must balance other academic activities and examinations with the study.

Inadequate funding tends to impede the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Term definitions

A fairy tale, fairytale, wonder tale, magical tale, fairy story, or Märchen is a folklore genre in the form of a short story.

Listening: The active process of receiving and responding to spoken (and sometimes unspoken) messages is known as listening. Listening is more than just hearing what the other person in the conversation is saying.

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USING STORIES TO IMPROVE PUPILS’ LISTENING SKILLS AMONG KINDERGARTENS TWO (K G 2) PUPILS AT ANGLICAN PRIMARY SCHOOL.

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