Digital Commons Network^™

The Disappearing Of The Hmong Language, Choua Yang

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Within my personal and professional experience, I have observed that the Hmong oral language has declined since the Hmong people arrived in the United States. Over the past 50 years in the United States, there have been growing concerns regarding the decline in usage of the Hmong language within Hmong children. In my personal experience, my children who are second generation Hmong, only the five older children are bilingual while my three younger children only speak English. As for my seven grandchildren, who are third generation Hmong, they only speak English. They do not understand nor speak the Hmong language. …

Implementing Nature-Based Play In Academically Focused Early Childhood Settings, Abbie Krohn

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research shows that both play and time spent in nature is critical to childhood development. Over the last fifty years, children’s access to extended play in outdoor spaces has decreased substantially. What are early childhood educators in formal academic settings to do with this information? The professional development series created for this project aims to provide early childhood educators with tools and resources to incorporate nature-based play practices into their classrooms. In the series, participants will examine the history of outdoor education in America, the effects of nature on the human body, standardized testing and current educational practices in early …

Creating First Grade Math Learning Materials In The Chinese Immersion Learning Environment, Huishu Jia

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Math is everywhere in people’s daily lives. It is also a universal subject taught everywhere. Research has demonstrated that math education includes many different components, the most essential mathematical skill for younger learners is to establish their number sense. Students’ math fluency will increase and will develop their math automaticity once they have strong number sense. According to studies, the Mandarin Chinese language helps students effectively master basic mathematical skills due to the uniqueness of the language, such as the pronunciation of each Chinese character, the “base ten” number system, etc. The project involved creating a pacing chart that aligns …

Utilizing Classical Literature In Kindergarten Classrooms: A Tool For Developing Social Emotional Skills And Reading Comprehension, Madeline Steinhoff

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project seeks to answer the question, How can educators use pedagogical storytelling with classical literature to address the social-emotional needs of their students while also increasing reading comprehension in early years? For the purposes of this research, classical literature is defined mainly as fables, folk stories and fairy tales. In answering my research question, I explore the research that underpins the history of pedagogical storytelling, classical literature, best practices in reading comprehension and academic language instruction, and the foundations of social emotional learning. This Capstone Project includes a two week, ten lesson literature unit that weaves together these …

An Educator's Guide To Expanding Accessibility To Nature Connections In Traditional Early Childhood Education, Olivia Romanello

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Over the last few decades, nature-based education has increased greatly in popularity across the United States. With its many developmental benefits, nature-based preschools have been an important hub to this movement. Children attending these schools are afforded many critical experiences that aid in their growth and development; gross-motor & social emotional skills, greater attentional capacity, and expanded creativity and critical thinking. This popular pedagogy has, however, not been equally accessible to all. With its many barriers, including but not limited to financial, this capstone uses an educator's guide to help answer the question: How can traditional Early Childhood Education programs …

Supporting Social-Emotional Learning With Diversely Representative Children’S Literature: Toolbox Supplementary Read Aloud Lesson Plans, Taylor Rose

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Read aloud texts play an essential role in shaping social-emotional learning skills, implementing routines, and bolstering early literacy skills in the early elementary classroom. Yet, despite the increasing racial and cultural diversity of the United States student population, children’s literature often lacks meaningful, intersectional representations of diversity. This capstone project pairs diverse children’s literature with the Toolbox social-emotional learning curriculum to explore the question, How can early elementary students' social-emotional skills develop through the intentional reading and conversation about children's literature featuring characters, authors, and themes of diverse and intersectional identities? The research concludes that the representational children’s literature can …

Whale Watching In Early Childhood, Victoria Anderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Whale watching (WW) is a growing business in the ecotourism industry. Two main goals of this industry is to support local conservation efforts and increase pro-environmental behaviors by altering participant environmental attitudes and beliefs. This capstone answers the research question: How can whale watching experiences contribute to the conservation efforts of ecotourism, educate youth on the importance of whales, and enhance the human-nature connection during early childhood? Research concludes that education plays a vital role in affecting participant environmental attitudes and beliefs. In addition to providing unique experiences to observe whales in their natural habitat, whale watching companies also have …

Accessibility To Infant And Toddler Programming At A Nature-Based Zoo Preschool, Eileen Garcia-Sanchez

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Settings that differ from the typical four-walled classroom have increased due to the recognition of nature-based learning from educators and researchers. With a strong focus on the rise in nature-based preschools, we see a lack of accessibility to quality experiences in nature-based programming for infants and toddlers. Through this project, I wanted to answer the question: how can an infant/toddler program designed to explore the benefits of nature-based learning reach San Antonio, TX families when created by a nature-based zoo preschool? To answer the research question, I explore resources highlighting key components in infant and toddler development, nature-based learning benefits, …

Developing A Proposal Plan To Create Nature-Based Classrooms In Early Childhood Settings To Support Inquiry Learning, Alaina Zapata

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can a nature-based setting support inquiry learning in early childhood education? It documents the author’s professional experiences and how they provided inspiration for the capstone topic and project. The author complies research that examines learning environments in early childhood education, curriculum to support learning in a nature-based setting, and partnerships involved to ensure outdoor learning success. The project includes a complete researched based proposal plan and presentation to transform a courtyard space within a school, into a nature-based classroom. The proposal plan highlights the benefits of nature-based spaces for early childhood …

Supporting Kindergarten Multilingual Learners During Morning Meeting, Tamara Tripp

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The guiding question of this capstone project is: “How can kindergarten classroom teachers support Multilingual Learners during Morning Meeting to improve their ability to engage and communicate with classmates?” Morning Meeting is a daily classroom time that supports the building of a shared classroom community. Students are seen and heard as they share about themselves and learn about their peers. Research has demonstrated the need for students to make connections with their classmates in order to feel safe taking academic risks. Multilingual learners in kindergarten classrooms can struggle to make social connections and actively engage in learning when they are …

Phonological Awareness In The Elementary Classroom, Marisa Brown

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated that teaching all elementary aged students phonological awareness skills in an explicit manner builds a strong literacy foundation. The blog designed for this project focuses on each explicit instructional skill set to best set our students up for success and is inspired by the work of Dr. Louisa Moats. The creation of the project involved looking at the background of how educators teach students to read including whole language and balanced literacy approaches. The goal of this project is to provide an online resource that can serve as a form of a professional learning community. The blog …

Esl Curriculum: Oral Language Acquisition For Teaching Under-Privileged School-Aged Children Of Hopeful Academy, Ibadan, Nigeria, Oloruntoba Ajibero

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project is centered on the development of the ESL curriculum for teaching of oral language to under-privileged school-aged children of Hopeful Academy, Ibadan-Nigeria. It investigated the question “How does Poverty impact the Oral Language Acquisition of English by School-Aged Children in Nigeria?” The content-based learning approach and the input-based approach served as useful guides in designing this ESL curriculum. The materials, activities, and units of this ESL Curriculum are mostly based on the Total Physical Response (TPR) from the WIDA English Language Proficiency standards. Children’s poor environments prevent them from being exposed to higher quantity and quality language learning …

More Than Social And Emotional Learning: Developing A Brain Aware Sel Curriculum For A Kindergarten Classroom, Macie Berg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that stress, negative emotions, and trauma all affect a students’ ability to learn and achieve in school. Thus, there has been a worthwhile movement to incorporate structured social and emotional learning programs into elementary schools. The goal of these programs are to help students develop critical social and emotion regulation skills that are required to adapt to school environments and achieve academically. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on teaching kindergarten students emotion regulation skills as well as make them aware of their own brain development. The content of the curriculum was influenced by by these …

Helping Primary School Students Exposed To Stress Or Trauma To Learn In The Language Classroom, Ekaterina Shamaeva

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Perhaps, every teacher would like to see their students thrive academically and succeed in their future careers. However, some learners face challenges which are not related neither to their individual characteristics, nor to aptitude, but to stressful and traumatic experiences in their lives, which represent huge barriers on the way to success. Therefore, the question addressed in this project was how can English as foreign language teachers in Russia mitigate the impact of stress and trauma on primary school learners to facilitate learning in the language classroom? Extensive literature review concludes that the effects of stress and trauma at a …

Promoting Early Literacy Learning, Margaret Baird

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone addresses the importance of early literacy exposure for later literacy development and academic achievement. Literacy levels when students enter school have been shown to be related to later reading achievement and academic success. Caregiver involvement is a significant part of early literacy development. The influence of caregiver involvement is the primary focus of the project. The website created for this project provides caregivers of children birth to age 5 with activities to facilitate the development of early literacy, and community resources dedicated to promoting early literacy. The project is intended for anyone who spends an extended amount of …

Play-Based Learning For Young Students, Katherine Marston

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Kindergarten has become a grade level that includes intensive academic demands. The literature reviewed in this capstone states that pushing academic skills upon early learners when they are not developmentally ready can be detrimental to their success. The research shows that play has vast benefits for early learners and should be considered an essential classroom activity. While this is the case, the time allotted for play during the kindergarten school day is steadily decreasing. This capstone uses literature along with the creation of a professional development workshop and stakeholder presentations to answer the question: How might stakeholder support be garnered …

Asset-Based Kindergarten Readiness For Black Children In Preschool And The Implications For Racial Equity, Jocelyn Mcquirter

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Early childhood education represents both a significant and formative moment in a child’s entry into the K-12 education system. While preschool children learn from well-meaning educators, inequities persist in kindergarten readiness outcomes for Black children. Some of the most saliently known disparities include the preschool to prison pipeline (i.e., discipline and suspension practices), poverty, and literacy rates. The Capstone Project sought to answer the research question: How might teacher preparation utilize an asset-based approach to reduce bias in Kindergarten readiness for Black children in lower socioeconomic status households? Explored were effective instructional and curriculum practices to increase learner engagement, empowerment, …

Incorporating Physical Activity In The Kindergarten Classroom, Kendra Buteyn

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Physical activity is something all children need. In today’s world, young children are spending more time on devices and are getting less physical activity at school and home due to busy and overbooked schedules. Research conducted by Abdelbary, Castelli et al., Conyers & Wilson, and Helgelson show that when children move more, they can increase their academic achievement, on-task behavior, and their overall health. Keeping the body active promotes mental clarity by increasing blood flow to the brain, making activity vital to both learning and physical and neurological health (Abdelbary, 2017). The collection of research in this capstone project helps …

What Methods And Models Can Be Used To Translate Science To Levels Developmentally Appropriate To Be Taught In Preschool In The State Of Massachusetts?, Donna Phillips

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines the changes in curriculum for early childhood education, specifically preschool aged children. In reviewing and learning about the history of preschool education and how its curriculum has evolved over time, this capstone project was developed to understand the question of, what are methods and models that can be used to translate science to levels developmentally appropriate to be taught in preschool in the state of Massachusetts? While preschool's curriculum main focus was in teaching fine and gross motor skills, research has shown that children as young as 3 years old are able to learn basic science, …

Increasing English Language Students Pre-Literacy Skills In Preschool, Alyssa Henderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Early literacy skills are a predictor of future reading and writing success. Whitehurst and Lonigan (1998) state that “Knowledge of the alphabet at entry into school is one of the strongest single predictors of short- and long-term literacy success” (p. 851). Students that enter kindergarten with early literacy skills are more likely to succeed in reading and writing as they progress through school. There are always students who leave preschool without adequate literacy skills, having made little progress throughout the year. Many times this includes English Language students making little growth. Han et al. (2013) states that EL students are …

Benefits Of Using Play-Based Learning In A Kindergarten Classroom, Courtney Kjoberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project titled, Benefits of Using Play-Based Learning in a Kindergarten Classroom, covers research from Vygotsky, Montessori, and Gardner, as well as a comparison of learning in kindergarten aged classrooms around the world. Research from several theorists and other countries have shown that play-based learning is a developmentally appropriate way to teach the academic standards to kindergarten students. Different models of learning, child-initiated and teacher directed, are examined. Benefits for students, who were engaged in this type of learning, were found in the areas of reading, math, and social-emotional. A play-based, teacher-directed, multiple intelligences curriculum was developed to help …

Play-Based Curriculum During Literacy Instruction In Kindergarten, Kayla Mertes

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that play-based learning can be beneficial on students' academic and social growth when incorporated into a classroom. The curriculum designed for this project is designed using Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding By Design framework (UbD) to create a play-based learning curriculum for literacy instruction in a kindergarten classroom. Research has shown that when incorporating play-based learning in a classroom environment it is developmentally appropriate for students. This project is a week long made up of 5 individual literacy lessons that are play-based and can be used in a kindergarten classroom. The goal of this project is to give …

A Year Of Curiosity, Wonder, And Imagination: Intentionally Connecting Play With Learning In Kindergarten, Adrienne Burns

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that children in Kindergarten learn best when they learn through play. This guide is intended to provide a handbook for Kindergarten teachers on how to incorporate play within the Kindergarten classroom while meeting academic standards. The guide designed for this project focuses on using the Reggio Emilia philosophy and the vast body of research on playful learning and guided play to incorporate developmentally appropriate play in the Kindergarten classroom. The guide includes research-backed talking points that Kindergarten teachers can share with parents, administrators and other stakeholders on the importance of children learning through play in Kindergarten. Another …

Social Emotional Learning And Literacy In The Primary Grades: An Integrated Approach, Kaitlynn Cline

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is essential to school success. This capstone was developed around the guiding question: How can primary grade level teachers teach Social Emotional Learning skills as an integrated approach through literacy? There are a number of SEL curricula available to educators, some of which have had a greater impact than others. There have also been a large number of policy changes in the United States related to academic achievement and standards that have impacted what is taught in the early years of elementary education. This capstone explored SEL curricula that are currently used, policies that have impacted …

Nature Play For Urban Elementary Preschoolers: Benefits To Their Development And Connectedness To The Environment, Sharon Smith-Lossiah

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project identified how nature-based activities can be integrated into nature play for preschoolers that are located at urban elementary schools. In a world that is becoming

increasingly disconnected from nature, there is a growing body of evidence which shows the life- long implications for preschoolers to their cognitive, social-emotional, and physical growth and

development with daily exposure to nature based activities. The literature review for this study defined nature play, its benefits and how it can be incorporated in an urban elementary school. It identified the benefits and barriers that preschool teachers have when providing nature play opportunities at …

Supporting Early Childhood Students’ Communication Skills Within The Classroom, Emma Creger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed by this project is What teaching strategies are recommended for early childhood teachers to implement into their practice to support all students’ communication skill development? The purpose of this exploration is to identify effective strategies for early childhood classroom teachers to reference and utilize when supporting their student’s communication skills. This project reviews studies conducted by well-known researchers in the field of childhood development and references professionals within the field of Speech and Language Pathology in order to create a digital resource compiling receptive and expressive communication strategies to be used with early childhood students. The …

Reconnecting Young Children With Nature For Healthy Growth And Development, Suzanne Schiffman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project seeks to answer the question of how early childhood educators can help their young students build connections with nature. The literature review for this study focused on educators’ knowledge of child development as it relates to environmental education and outdoor play; curriculum planning, implementing and assessment using Minnesota state standards and developmentally appropriate practices; availability and accessibility of natural play spaces; and environmental literacy of educators. The project is divided into two parts consisting of three interactive slideshow presentations for professional development and three sets of educational support materials. This capstone is relevant for administrators and early childhood …

Dragonfly’S Toolkit: An Innovative Curriculum Framework To Facilitate Socio-Emotional And Character Development Skills In Preschoolers, Celeste Finn

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can teachers scaffold development of the social-emotional functioning of preschoolers to improve their emotional health? To answer this question, the project included researching and developing ways to improve a child’s social-emotional awareness and character development to create a classroom culture where relationships are secure and children can thrive. This project reviewed studies from numerous experts in areas of social-emotional learning, early childhood curriculum development, executive functioning and character development to form the theoretical foundations to create a social-emotional learning and character development curriculum for children ages three to five. The research …

Promoting Teacher Retention And Increasing Job Satisfaction By Preventing Burnout In The Early Childhood Workforce, Erin Bergevin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Burnout is a serious psychological condition characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach, 1982). When early childhood educators experience burnout, it undermines educational quality, puts children’s emotional development at risk, and compromises teachers’ mental health. Furthermore, burnout contributes to the alarmingly high rate of teacher turnover in the field of early childhood education. This project addresses the research question: How can early childhood program leaders learn to implement supportive strategies to promote teacher retention and increase job satisfaction? The project is comprised of a series of professional development sessions and a comprehensive resource handbook intended …

Developing A Business Model For An All-Day Nature-Based Preschool In The Twin Cities Metro Area Of Minnesota, Hannah Gall

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, what is the best way to setup and implement a Waldkindergarten-inspired all-day nature based school for ages three to five in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota? The project focuses on the Waldkindergarten style of school in Western Europe and how this can be configured to the laws and weather patterns in the state of Minnesota. It focuses on the all-day aspect of this type of school, which is much less popular than a part-day program of this type due to the complexities and extra expenses of an all-day model. The …