Verbal games for lexical retention in 3 and 4 years old children

Abstract

Learning English as a foreign language at an early age requires a very tedious work by the teacher, taking into account that the ludic games a key for the development of cognitive and social skills role. In this investigation, it was considered theoretical and methodological learning vocabulary through verbal games as an activity that is applied in the classroom; which allowed children to develop strategic cognitive and metacognitive learning and evaluate their usefulness. Therefore, a descriptive investigation was carried out, at the Early Education Center Romina in the city of Ambato with children in early childhood education 1 (n = 74). The purpose of this study is to test the impact of verbal games in lexical retention in children from three to four years old. A pretest and postest to control and experimental groups to test the hypothesis were applied. The results showed that verbal games do influence the lexical retention in 3 and 4 years old children. In addition, a survey within 10 questions for 2 teachers of English as a subject, 2 classroom teachers and 74 Initial Education children guided by their parents, after being validated by three experts was applied. This survey yielded information on the work done by the teacher in the classroom and the impact this has on children development; although not quantified their learning. With this premise, the following conclusions were established: there must be a very meticulous selection of techniques and methodologies to improve the lexical retention in three and four years old children. As an application of the activities developed a handbook for it can be used by English teachers. This manual contains playful tasks to develop lexical retention, each framed in the content to be taught in the years of early childhood education and worksheets to be used in the development of class activities.