Examining the Role of Edu-Cartoons in Imparting Reading Skills to Children. A Case of Selected Pre-Primary Schools in Tabora – Tanzania

Abstract

Educational cartoons have emerged as a prominent factor in developing pre-primary children. Video and mobile platforms facilitate the acquisition of various skills and promote early childhood preparedness. This study focuses on examining the role of Edu-cartoons in imparting necessary reading skills to pre-primary children while identifying the significance of Edu-cartoons in imparting reading skills to children as the specific objective of this study. The study is informed by the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandula; Krejcie and Morgan's formula was used to obtain a sample size of 200 participants, and a computer-aided koboTool program with cartoons giving instructions to children was used to solicit information on Edu-cartoons reading skills from 150 children. Further, 25 pre-primary teachers and 25 parents were also exposed to semi-structured interviews on Android phones aided with KoboTool programs. Data collected from Temihill, St. Francis, Westland, Greenlane, and Shauri Jema pre & primary schools were analysed using SPSS version 27.1. The findings reveal that, apart from website sources such as Ubongo Kids and Kilimani Sesame, children access the same content from local Television and TV cables. Moreover, the study finds that Edu-cartoons help improve children's pronunciation skills during reading, develop reading comprehension and increase vocabulary to children. The study recommends that parents and teachers guide children on where they can access relevant information resources to enhance reading competencies