Understanding Time Words by Children Aged Three to Five Years Old: Implications for Childhood Education

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the understanding of time words used in children’s literature in Early Childhood Education by Children aged three to five years old. Time words are indiscriminately used in story books, rhymes and songs meant for children in nursery and pre-primary Schools. However, Piaget’s theory of intellectual development has identified time concepts as beyond the conceptual development of the preoperational child. Seven research questions were raised on understanding, use, sequence and time words within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Four hypotheses were also formulated to authenticate answers to the research questions. Ethnographic cross-sectional research design was used for the study. The population was made up of children aged three to five years old in nursery and preprimary schools. 120 pupils made up the sample consisting of 40 pupils each of age three, four and five years old. The instruments for data collection were test and observation. The test was constructed in the format of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised (PPVT-R). Data was collected over a period of six weeks through individual administration of the test and through participant observation. One way ANOVA and t-test analyses of the data reveal that children in nursery and pre-primary school understand morning, afternoon, night and age at three years and the understanding of time words increase with age. The results showed significant difference at 0.05 in the understanding of time words between children whose ages are three, four and five years old. However, no significant difference at 0.05 was obtained between boys and girls in the understanding of time words. The results also showed time words operating at the zone of proximal development (ZPD) and the sequence children acquire time words/ concepts. It was then concluded that young children in nursery and preprimary schools understand the time words used in story books and that various number of time word vocabulary operate at the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for children in nursery and preprimary schools. It was therefore recommended that story books for children in nursery and pre-primary schools should use time words understood by children at various age levels and that teaching time words in pre-primary schools should focus on time words in the zone of proximal development. Teaching and learning strategies that inculcate time words/ concept through personal experiences in fun arousing and satisfying situation were also recommended.