For many parents, screen time for young children brings mixed feelings.

While smartphones, tablets, and televisions are sometimes seen as less than ideal for a child's brain development, certain programs offer valuable moments for teaching children about family, relationships, and early learning concepts.

Some shows introduce basics like numbers and sounds that are typically taught in pre-primary school.

Eunice Muiruri, a pre-primary teacher since 2000, notes the dramatic shift in early childhood education over the years.

“When I started teaching, we focused on helping children recognize, pronounce, and write letters and numbers. Now, many come to class already knowing how to pronounce some letters and numbers,” she explains.

Today, teacher Eunice spends more time helping children identify and write letters and numbers, building on what they already know. She also observes that teaching methods have evolved.

“Children now come to school familiar with materials like blocks and modelling clay. When I first started teaching, we often used mud, stones, and sticks for hands-on learning.”

She mentions that this shift has also increased the cost of teaching, as educators often need various learning materials and sometimes a tablet or laptop for lessons.

Eunice also points out that today's teaching approach uses phonics—teaching sounds rather than the traditional alphabet recitation.

“Many parents don’t know the sounds and sometimes come to school concerned that their children aren’t learning the alphabet the way they remember. We have to explain that we’re now teaching using sounds,” she says.

Hilda Mucheru, a pre-primary teacher with 15 years of experience, agrees that teaching has become easier as many children start school already exposed to sounds, shapes, and colours.

Teacher Hilda Mucheru has been teaching for 15 years.

Photo credit: COURTESY

“Most children entering school are already familiar with some of what we teach because they’ve been exposed to it early on,” she says.

Teacher Hilda focuses on helping children develop writing skills, often starting with simple scribbles that progress over time.

She adds that teachers now have to stay current with popular nursery rhymes from children’s shows to engage students and ensure every child feels included.

“We have to stay up-to-date, not only to keep up but also to support children who haven’t yet learned these rhymes,” she says.

How children shows have changed teaching methods in pre-primary schools

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Muthoni Wanjiku