USING PLAY ACTIVITIES FOR EARLY LEARNERS OF ABLEKUMASOUTH METROPOLITAN OF THE GREATER ACCRA REGION

ABSTRACT The study examined the play activities of early learners in public schools‟ kindergartens in the Ablekuma South Metro of the Greater Accra Region.Crosssectional survey design was adopted for the study. Using the census sampling procedure, 164 kindergarten teachers were sampled for the study. Questionnaire was used to gather the requisite data for the study. The data were analysed through the computation of descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA, using the SPSS. The study found out that, through play activities, teachers identify how children may be assisted in learning through curriculum-based learning tasks that facilitate easy learning. Also, teachers considered play as an educational tool for teaching and learning and utilise it to promote the development of motor and cognitive skills, social and emotional competencies that assist children to think logically and acquire language skills. The study revealed among others that children display more evidence of metacognitive monitoring and control when working under supervision. Teachers are considered essential in enabling children‟s development through play and they encourage children to plan their own activities for some of the time and they make considerable social gains. They assist them to use a combination of teacher-led and child-led activities to improve play. The study recommended that, the Ablekuma South-Metro, in collaboration with the educational directorate and schools organise regular workshop activities centred on the significant role of the teacher in children‟s play activities to improve on their role as teachers and facilities of play activities in the classroom.The Ablekuma South Metro, in collaboration with the educational directorate and the sampled school, with the support of the Parent Teacher Association should provide the basic teaching and learning materials required for children to engage in a meaningful and intellectual playf activity.