PLAY MATERIALS AND PUPILS' SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN PRE-PRIMARY LEVEL OF EDUCATION IN URUAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Abstract

This study investigated the availability of play materials and their impact on the development of social skills in preschool children in Uruan local government area. Descriptive survey design was used in the study. Cluster sampling technique was used to select 12 schools (6 private and 6 public) from the area for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select 24 preschool teachers and 120 preschool children from the selected schools to form the sample size. The teachers also served as research assistants. A researcher made questionnaire and an observation schedule were the instruments used by the researchers to obtain data to answer the three research questions of the study. Descriptive statistics of percentages mean and standard deviation was used to analyze data obtained. Findings showed that private schools had more and quality play material than public schools. Preschool children were found to develop social skills of cooperation and communication when playing with play materials. It was recommended that government invest in play materials for preschool children as it is their laboratory and that teachers should encourage the children to interact with play materials and their peers so as to develop good social skills.