RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND ACQUISITION OF LITERACY SKILLS AMONG PRESCHOOLERS IN PUBLIC EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE CENTRES IN ELEME LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Abstract

This study is focused on the relationship between creative expression and acquisition of literacy skills among preschoolers in Public Early Childhood Care Centres in Eleme Local Government Area. The study adopted the correlational research design. Two purposes, two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. 2071 preschoolers found in 21 Public Early Childhood Care Centre in Eleme Local Government Area constituted the population of this study, from where 890 preschoolers representing approximately 43% of the population were sampled using simple random sampling technique through balloting-with-replacement. The instrument that was used for data collection was the researcher-designed 22 items questionnaire titled: Creative Expression and Acquisition of Literacy Skills Questionnaire (CEALSQ). Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the research questions and to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that, there is significant relationship between painting, scribbling and preschoolers’ acquisition of literacy skills in Public Early Childhood Education Centres in Eleme Local Government Area. Based on the findings, it was recommended that:  preschoolers should be given appropriate materials to use in painting exercises to enable them acquire the necessary literacy skills. Preschoolers should be given materials, rough papers to scribble in order to acquire proper sense of letters and number formation.