HOME LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (HLE) AND EARLY NUMERACY PERFORMANCE OF KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS: FOUNDATION FOR AN ENHANCED EARLY NUMERACY PROGRAM

The home learning environment (HLE) played a crucial role in shaping early childhood education, particularly in fostering numeracy skills. A strong HLE was linked to better academic outcomes, making it essential to understand its impact on kindergarten learners' early numeracy performance. This study aimed to determine the HLE and early numeracy performance of Kindergarten learners in Felipe E. Estella Elementary School, Masinloc District, Schools Division of Zambales, during the School Year 2024–2025. The study employed a quantitative-descriptive design. Using universal sampling, 119 home learning facilitators and their corresponding kindergarten learners participated. Data were gathered using a validated researcher-designed questionnaire. The home learning facilitators were predominantly females aged 40–49, college graduates, with two children, cohabitant status, and a monthly family income of P20,000–P39,999, who typically spent less than an hour daily teaching numeracy. They frequently provided learning resources, activities, sessions, and support. Kindergarten learners demonstrated proficient numeracy skills in pattern recognition, understanding shapes, and number recognition but showed developing skills in comparing quantities. Significant differences in HLE were observed based on facilitators' age, sex, civil status, monthly family income, highest educational attainment, and daily hours spent teaching numeracy, except for the number of children. A strong positive correlation between HLE and early numeracy performance was found. The study highlighted the pivotal role of HLE and its significant correlation with numeracy skills development in young learners. An enhanced early numeracy program was developed to improve both HLE and learners' performance. The findings provided a foundation for targeted interventions to strengthen HLE practices and enhance numeracy skills in kindergarten learners. This underscored the importance of engaging home learning facilitators and equipping them with effective strategies for early education.