Abstract: Low learning performance can be witnessed in children who do not experienceindependent play at the early childhood centers they attend. This study sought to find out the effects of independent play on the learning performance of children in Gasabo district. The specific objective includes; to determine effects of independent play on the learning performance of children in Gasabo district. The research used descriptive research design. The target population was 794 teachers and head teachers corresponding to the sample size of 266. The research used stratified random sampling. Additionally, questionnaires were used for teachers while interviews were used for head teachers as instruments of collecting data. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS software version 21. Descriptive analysis was done using means and percentages while inferential analysis was done by conducting correlation......
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