A Study of the Views of Teachers of First Year Infant School Children Concerning the Effects on the Language and Socialisation of Children Who Have Previously Attended Playgroups.

This paper reports the findings of a survey to determine the effects, if any, that experience in playgroups had upon children of varying social class backgrounds in differing areas within the United Kingdom. The project aimed at answering two major questions: (1) Did teachers perceive differences in first year infant school children that they could attribute to previous attendance at playgroups, and, (2) If the teachers did see differences, what, according to their views, was the nature of the differences? A questionnaire dealing with observable differences in children who had/had not attended playgroups was constructed. Investigated were the effects of playgroups on socialization, motivation, language development, playing, intellectual and emotional development, motor skills, communicative skills, creative skills, pre-reading skills, aggressiveness, organizational ability, discipline, and other characteristics. Factors considered in choosing the sample were location of the schools (inner cities, urban areas, country districts), nature of housing, and estimated social class of the children. Questionnaires were sent to the selected schools, and upon return 92% were followed up by personal interviews. Results are listed for each questionnaire item. A conclusion briefly discusses the relationships between the region, housing, and social class of children and the varying responses of teachers. (SB)