Journal Article

Early childhood development educators’ perceptions of learners’ readiness for Grade R

Pewa, Ngami P., Mzimela, Jabulile

2024

Overview

BackgroundEarly childhood is a formative period during which distinguishable development has projections of bearing desirable outcomes within an individual. Hence, physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social independence are healthy components of a typical child’s development that early childhood development (ECD) educators deem essential for Grade R readiness.AimThis article aims to explore ECD educators’ perceptions of typical 4-year-old learners’ aspects of development and how this supports their readiness for Grade R.SettingThis study was conducted in an ECD centre in a marginalised rural context of the Mandlankala area, Empangeni, north of Zululand.MethodsAn interpretive qualitative case study methodological design framed within Bronfenbrenner’s person-proximal processes-context model was adopted. Purposive convenient sampling was used to select three ECD educators from an ECD centre. Semi-structured interviews and learners’ physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social behaviour observations were used to generate data. Data were analysed thematically.ResultsFindings revealed that early childhood educators perceive 4-year-old learners’ readiness for Grade R differently based on criteria such as their personalities based on developmental milestones and the educator’s experience in the field and training.ConclusionThis study concluded that the learner’s level of physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social development influences their readiness for Grade R.ContributionSchool readiness skills allow school teachers to expand and further develop learners’ skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills.

• Publisher: AOSIS,African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS,AOSIS (Pty) Ltd,University of Johannesburg
• Subject: Academic readiness / Beliefs, opinions and attitudes / Case studies / Child development / Childhood / Children / Children & youth / Cognition / Cognitive development / Cognitive-behavioral factors / early childhood development / early childhood development educators / Early childhood education / Early childhood educators / Education / Education, Special / Educational aspects / Educational research / Emotional development / Emotions / Families & family life / Grade R / Language / Language & Linguistics / Language Skills / Language thought relationship / Learning Strategies / Lifelong Learning / Literacy / Management / Marginality / Mathematics, Applied / Motor ability / Parent Participation / parental involvement / Parents & parenting / Perceptions / Preschool teachers / Projections / Readiness for school / Rural communities / Sampling / school readiness / Skills / Social behavior / Social development / Social interaction / Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary / System theory / Teachers / Young Children