Exploring Challenges in Numeracy Skills of Kindergarten Learners in Ifugao,Philippines

This study explores challenges of kindergarten teachers in teaching numeracy skills in Ifugao, a rural province in the Philippines. It aims to address gaps in early mathematics education to better prepare learners for future academic challenges and assessments. Employing a qualitative approach, this paper gathered data from key administrators and kindergarten teachers including official documents through interview, observation, and document scanning. Using thematic data analysis, the results revealed four challenges in Teaching Numeracy Skills in the Kindergarten such as pedagogical challenge(i.e limited of advanced and effective teaching strategies in teaching numeracy skills),Curriculum Implementation Challenges ,( i.e by frequent changes and introducing new curriculum that requires continuous adaptation and often disrupting instructional continuity and teacher focus), Educational Resources and Support Challenges (i.e Teachers often face constraints such as inadequate teaching materials and limited access to professional development opportunities),and Parental Support Challenges(i.e poor collaboration of parents ).To address these challenges, recommendations include implementing professional development programs for educators focused on innovative strategies, developing a consistent and regularly reviewed kindergarten curriculum, improving access to teaching materials and technological resources, and enhancing parental engagement through regular communication and workshops. To achieve these goals, schools should conduct benchmarking activities to identify and apply best practices from successful educational institutions. Furthermore, higher education institutions should establish extension programs to support these efforts. Collaboration among all stakeholders, including educators, parents, policymakers, and community leaders, is essential to address the challenges in kindergarten education.