ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF INTEGRATION OF ICT ON ACQUISITION OF LITERACY SKILLS AMONG PRE-PRIMARY LEARNERS. A CASE OF NAROK SOUTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

This paper discusses the Impact of Integration of ICT on Acquisition of Literacy Skills among Pre-Primary Learners. The world over, ICT in all spheres of life has created a social system which is driven by knowledge and powered by technology. This dominance of ICT puts the various education systems under pressure to use ICT in acquisition of literacy skills in Pre-primary education. Newton and Rogers (2001), in a study conducted in New York, asserted that due to the explosion of knowledge, educational institutions including schools cannot continue to transmit knowledge from the teacher to the learner or use the textbook as the only source of information. These findings affirm the fact that Pre-primary schools are therefore expected to promote the acquisition of knowledge and skills through the use of new technologies to ensure efficient, continuous and lifelong learning. Nut (2010), posits that global investment in ICT to improve acquisition of literacy skills in pre-primary schools has been initiated by many governments. In the United Kingdom, the government spend £2.5bn while New Zealand spends over $ 410 million every year on school’s ICT infrastructure. Mikre (2011) posited that the successful integration of ICT in acquisition of literacy skills largely depends on the availability of ICT infrastructure and teachers’ integration and embrace of ICT in literacy skills education. Aktaruzzaman, Shamim and Clement (2011) maintain that pre-primary teacher competency is another indispensable variable to ensure the successful use of ICT in the acquisition of literacy skills environment. Despite the availability of computer laboratories and media centres in various urban schools, teachers indicated various issues that impede the use and the integration of ICT in their literacy skills pedagogic activities. These findings confirm the fact that ICT is becoming increasingly important in our daily lives and in our educational system and therefore, there is a growing demand on educational institutions to use ICT to teach the skills and knowledge pre-primary learners need for the 21st century. In view of this, this paper will critically assess the impact of ICT on integration of literacy skills among learners in pre-primary schools in Narok South Sub County, Kenya.