The resurgence of interest in child development and early childhood education that began in the early 1960s has resulted in a steady increase in manufacturers that are producing instructional media of every description for preschool.
At times certai...
The resurgence of interest in child development and early childhood education that began in the early 1960s has resulted in a steady increase in manufacturers that are producing instructional media of every description for preschool.
At times certain materials are most appropriately used in an instructional format for teaching and to have particular children practice a specific kind of learning. Which of the materials will be used and how they will be used are best left to individual programs and the way in which their curriculum is implemented.
The purpose of this study is to survey the current status of the utilization of instructional media in early childhood education.
The survey showed the following results:
1. Over 90% of 193 kindergarten teachers responded that their kindergarten possessed the following instructional media: picture-books, photographs, slides and flannel board. On the other hand, only 59% of 193 respondents possessed puppet theatres and picture dramas, which are supposed to be an effective instructional media in kindergarten. Also of the 193 teachers, 46.6% responded that there was a lack of instructional media in kindergarten.
2. Photographs, flannel boards, picture story book, tape recorders and slide were the most frequently utilized media in kindergarten. The reason for utilizing the above media was that teachers could instruct more effectively with them.
3. Of the 193 teachers, 79% responded that selected the instructional media according to the content and objectives of the subject. Most of the time, the teachers prepared instructional materials by themselves. The reason was that they could not purchase the proper commercial products for the kindergarten children.
4. The survey indicated that only 49.7% of 193 teachers had taken audio-visual courses at their colleges. Most of the respondents wanted in-service training for preparing and utilizing the instructional media.
5. Approximately 70% of 193 teachers responded that the instructional media were the essential elements in early childhood education. However, the survey indicated that a serious problem in applying the instructional media to early childhood education was a lack of proper instructional media. Therefore, research and development of instructional media for early childhood education is greatly needed.
Media can make learning more effective by increasing the realism, the dynamics and the emotionalism of information, and it can increase the dynamics and the emotionalism of information, and it can increase the motivation to learn. However, the teacher must fully understand and appreciate the capabilities and limitations of media and must carefully plan for their effective use. The important distinction in discussing instructional media for education is the role of the teacher. One major responsibility of teachers in preparing an optimum learning environment for young children is to provide many types of instructional media. Then children, during the large blocks of exploration time provided each day, may choose for themselves how to elaborate their own skills in each area of development. In addition, teachers must select instructional media that can be used for helping children learn routines and instructional media that are appropriate for learning activities in an instructional format. The principles for selecting instructional media for any age child and for any type of learning activity are essentially of the same appropriateness (developmental match): versatility, variety, safety, function, durability and aesthetic qualities.