COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE USE OF TRADITIONAL APPROACH AND MONTESSORI METHOD IN TEACHING NUMERACY IN EARLY YEARS

In traditional education, Mathematics has always been a great challenge to learners, maybe because it is taught as abstract from early years .On the other hand, the Montessori Method uses the hands-on approach in teaching numeracy from early years. This study therefore compared the traditional approach and the Montessori Method in the teaching of numeracy in selected public schools in Delta North Senatorial District. Two schools and four classes were purposively selected in Ika South, of Delta North Senatorial District. Twenty five pupils were selected for each approach in the two schools. At the end of the study, the children in the Montessori class performed better on the numeracy test than those taught with the traditional approach. It was concluded that hands-on approach enhances understanding of numeracy from early years. It was therefore recommended that the teachers in the schools in Delta State should be retrained on the use of hands on activities in the teaching of numeracy in early years.