THE ROLE OF MOTHER TONGUE EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF BALE AND MADAMANI PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the role of mother tongue education in early childhood education. The objectives were to examine the benefits of early childhood education in the mother tongue as compared to early childhood education in English, to examine the learning process among children and to evaluate the performance of students instructed in Kigiryama and those instructed in English in Madamani and Bale primary schools. The study was conducted in two primary schools in Kilifi County. For one term pupils in one primary school were instructed in English while pupils in the other school were instructed in vernacular. At the end of the term, a test was administered to the pupils to establish the mean score. Findings revealed that pupils instructed in mother tongue performed better at this stage than those instructed in English. It is recommended that it is more appropriate for students to be instructed in their mother tongue at their early stage to ensure children grasp core concepts during their learning experience in school.