Influence of Mother Tongue Usage on Acquisition of Literacy Skills

This book highlights issues related to using the mother tongue in acquiring literacy skills among pupils in ECDE centres in Kenya. It discusses teacher presentation skills of mother tongue usage, instructional materials used in learning the mother tongue, teacher’s attitudes towards mother tongue usage and parental involvement in mother tongue usage to promote the acquisition of literacy skills in rural early childhood development education centres. The author presented the chapters systematically to show how teachers can understand the importance of using the mother tongue in teaching learners and easily acquire literacy skills in the second language. Parents can also understand the importance of teaching their children to use their mother tongue in doing their homework and assignment. Making policies that make mother tongue usage compulsory for ECDE can improve teacher presentation skills and provide adequate instructional materials for learning the mother tongue. There will also be improvements in teachers’ attitudes towards mother tongue usage. Children can acquire literacy skills easily when taught using their mother tongue in early childhood learning in a classroom set-up compared to using a second language directly. The medium of instruction in a child’s formative years is crucial as it offers many advantages that ensure a smooth transition from home to the school environment for young learners joining the school for the first time.