Preschool attendance and children’s reading ability: A case of Narok County Kenya

Abstract

This article reports findings of a study conducted in public primary schools in Narok County Kenya. A sample size comprising 74 children in Grade 3 (37 who did not attend preschool and 37 who attended preschool), 18 head teachers, 66 lower primary school teacher,s and five education officers were selected for the study. Learners’ reading ability was tested using the Kenya Early Grade Reading Assessment Tests for English and Kiswahili adapted from Department for International Development end line survey of 2014. Interviews of head teachers, teachers, and education officers were conducted. Findings revealed that children who attended preschool performed better in English sub-tasks than those who did not attend preschool. However, those who did not attend preschool performed better in Kiswahili than their counter parts. Teachers revealed that they create extra time to support children who did not attend preschool, which explains why such children performed better in Kiswahili.