Education Commons^™

Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies To Improve Early Elementary Comprehension Skills, Deborah S. Cirincione

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information to educators about teaching strategies used in the classroom. The researcher opened up a survey to Early Elementary Reading teachers so
they can provide their input in an anonymous manner so as to get as much information as possible so others can find this narrative, qualitative research useful in their careers. The writer researched scholarly and peer-reviewed journals, as well as, commonly used resources such as government websites to acquire and report recent practices of early elementary reading strategies used in classrooms. The study was of qualitative nature, and the survey was …

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Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

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Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities (JSESD)

The Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal with an international focus on providing information on science education for students with varying types and levels of disabilities. We aspire to publish the best of theoretical research and practical application and we review articles by both special and general educators. Interesting topics have included innovative curricular ideas, instructional adaptations, research-based modifications, best practices, and management issues in science education.

Copyright Statement

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Publication rights to works is granted to Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities, however, full copyright for works published in this journal is retained by the author(s). The author(s) may post their works online in an institutional repository, on their University departmental website, or on their own personal websites

Tutor In A Bag: Reaching Struggling Readers, Lillian Hoskinson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Tutor in a Bag is a tutoring program designed to match novice adult tutors with struggling early readers. The program trains tutors with varied backgrounds to work with struggling readers using evidence-based instructional strategies and data collection methods. Tutors attended an initial training session to receive materials, practice each component of the lesson plan, and to receive fundamental training on use of reading games and strategies supporting solid reading instruction at a brisk pace. Each designated struggling reader was paired with a tutor for 10 weekly, thirty-minute sessions driven by each student’s individual needs. Support for the tutors was provided …

Strategies To Support Families Experiencing Difficult Circumstances, Carol M. Trivette

ETSU Faculty Works

One of the most challenging tasks for many early childhood providers is how to support families who are facing tough, difficult issues like death of a parent, PTSD, abuse, and neglect. Not only do these issues impact the family’s overall functioning and well being and the quality of parents’ interactions with their young children but they also affect the relationship between the family and the early childhood providers (e.g., missed appointments and adversarial interactions). Dr. Carol Trivette will cap her yearlong webinar series sharing resources and discussing evidence-based practices that providers can implement when they are working with military families …

Computerized Adaptive Assessment Of Infant-Toddler Language Development: Demonstration And Validation Of An App For Screening, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis, Curtis Meadow, George Markowsky, Barbara Z. Pearson, Shawn A. Collier, Rebecca E. Eilers

Poster Presentations

We have developed a computerized adaptive test (an app), based on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), that can rapidly gauge infant and toddler language development based on parent report. The app can be very useful in screening for developmental disabilities in IDEA Part C or Section 619. We will demonstrate the app and present validation data for toddlers.

Perceptions Of School Readiness, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, And The Role Of Professionalism, Brittany Kristine Mcallister

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Research supports the knowledge that there exist many models on and definitions of school readiness within early education. Additionally, research shows that utilizing developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) produces positive short and long term results for students; indicating the effectiveness and necessity for DAP in the classroom. The study sought to inform teachers via presentation on the subjects of school readiness and DAP; as well as gain insight on the barriers teachers face in utilizing their school readiness and DAP knowledge base in the classroom. To accomplish this, the study used a pre-survey, presentation with discussion, and a post-survey to collect …

Professional Learning Communities (Plcs) For Early Childhood Science Education, Jungwon Eum

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored the content, processes, and dynamics of Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions. This study also investigated changes in preschool teachers’ attitudes and beliefs toward science teaching after they participated in two different forms of PLCs including workshop and face-to-face PLC as well as workshop and online PLC. Multiple sources of data were collected for this study including participant artifacts and facilitator field notes during the PLC sessions.

The participants in this study were eight teachers from NAEYC-accredited child care centers serving 3- to 5-year-old children in an urban Midwest city. All teachers participated in a workshop entitled, “Ramps …

The Effects Of Social Stories On The Problem Solving Skills Of Preschoolers, Sara Cramer

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project examined the effects of social stories on the problem solving skills of preschoolers in a Montessori classroom. The classroom was in a private school in Arizona led by a lead Montessori trained teacher and an assistant teacher. The study spanned seven weeks and the subjects were 22 three to five year old children. Three stories were read to the children. Each story was read at circle time daily for a two week interval. Data collected included the observations of the lead teacher, observations of the assistant teacher, and one-on-one conversations with each child at the end …

Importance Of Accommodating Elementary School Students With Learning Disabilities, Angelica R. Rivera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone examines the rationale why it is important to accommodate the students with learning disabilities at the elementary schools. Mainstreaming students with disabilities with those in regular general education classrooms remains a very important issue for principals and teachers. Through the use of literature review and interviews with a principal and a teacher from their respective schools in the Monterey County area, the results show that there is a gap between the services provided to students with learning disabilities.

Music And Words: Connecting The Love Of Music With Language, Eileen P. Kennedy, Raymond Torres- Santos

Publications and Research

Children from different cultures have a natural affinity for rhymes, rhythm and music. Imagine if students were able, from the beginning of their education and experiences with academic writing and literacy, to access their unconscious and original selves from which to create their writing. The study of music can help to access this aware, inventive side that can enhance anyone’s writing. As an early childhood writing teacher and a composition teacher, we draw on our experiences with young children with words and music. We examine the relationship between music and words in an effort to bring the primitive drive of …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Racial Equity In One Early Childhood Education Program, Dawn M. Meskil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although public education in the United States has had remarkable growth and improvement since its beginning, significant inadequacies concerning racial equity continue to cast a shadow on the system. Despite desegregation efforts and specific attention to providing integrated school settings there has been little progress in establishing educational justice. The purpose of this case study was to uncover perceptions about racial inequity within Asheville City Schools as well as potential facilitators of equity. A qualitative case study using 10 guiding research questions was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of parents as well as educators at Asheville City Schools Preschool regarding …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Intensive Professional Development On The Daily Five™ In Literacy Instruction: A Multiple Case Study Exploration, Lori A. Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This multiple case, qualitative study explored the experiences of six early childhood teachers as they implemented a structured, differentiated literacy framework (The Daily Five™) in a rural northeast Tennessee school system. This study investigated teachers’ perceptions of professional development, specifically the professional development components of coaching including ongoing online discussion, collaboration, and reflective journaling, on changing their literacy planning and instruction. Data were collected through interviews, journal entries, and transcribed meeting conversations. Findings revealed that teachers perceived coaching and collaboration as instrumental professional development components that directly contributed to changing their literacy planning and instruction. Both coaching and collaboration offered …

Reification, Resistance, And Transformation? The Impact Of Migration And Demographics On Linguistic, Racial, And Ethnic Identity And Equity In Educational Systems: An Applied Approach, Rebecca Ann Campbell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using an applied anthropological approach focused on language, this study investigates the relationship between linguistic, racial, and ethnic identities and school resource access in the context of migration. This project examines how these identities are established, experienced, reified, and resisted by various school actors. Exposing power at its roots through a multi-level analysis, this research informs on how people negotiate socialization into particular identities, propelling them toward positions in school and society of varying opportunity.

Focused on two elementary schools in a central Florida county that has been and is undergoing demographic changes, this work offers applications for educational institutions …

An Examination Of Accessible Hands-On Science Learning Experiences, Self-Confidence In One’S Capacity To Function In The Sciences, And Motivation And Interest In Scientific Studies And Careers., Mick D. Isaacson, Cary Supalo, Michelle Michaels, Alan Roth

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This study examined the potential relationship of accessible hands-on science learning experiences to the development of positive beliefs concerning one’s capacity to function in the sciences and motivation to consider science as a college major and career. Findings from Likert survey items given before and after engaging in accessible hands-on science laboratories show that students who were blind or had low vision (BLV) were more likely to agree with the following items after engaging in accessible science experiences: 1) I plan on enrolling as a science major in college; 2) My educational experiences, so far, have given me the …

Teachers’ Third Eye: Using Video Elicitation Interviews To Facilitate Kuwaiti Early Childhood Preservice Teachers’ Reflections, Hessa Alsuhail

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of three Kuwaiti pre-service teachers with guided reflection and the extent to which video technology facilitates reflection. The data sources were semi-structured and video-elicited interviews, field notes, and researcher reflective journals. The study was guided by two research questions: In what ways does video elicitation facilitate Kuwaiti pre-service teachers’ reflections? What do Kuwaiti pre-service teachers reflect about? I used Rogoff’s Sociocultural Theory (2003; 1995) as my conceptual lens for this study which stresses the importance of cultural contexts in all areas of education. I developed a concept I call “third-eye” thinking to define …

Young Children Positioned As Storytellers In The Classroom: An Examination Of Teacher-Child Interactions And The Storytelling Event, Peggy L. Martalock

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT YOUNG CHILDREN POSITIONED AS STORYTELLERS IN THE CLASSROOM: AN EXAMINATION OF TEACHER-CHILD INTERACTIONS AND THE STORYTELLING EVENT SEPTEMBER 2016 PEGGY MARTALOCK, B.A., UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON M.A. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN LACROSSE Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Claire E. Hamilton Responsive, well-attuned, sensitive, dynamic, and individual interactions between teachers and children in early childhood classrooms support language and literacy development. This study looks at the nature and qualities of teacher – child interactions during Vivian Paley’s storytelling approach when implemented as a curricular activity. This is a microethnographic study conducted from a socio-cultural theoretical framework of two …

Quality Interactions Between Professionals And Families To Enhance Child Learning, Carol M. Trivette

ETSU Faculty Works

Young children learn through the interactions they have within their environments. These interactions include all of the people who support them (parents, family members, interventionists, therapists, childcare providers, and other practitioners). This session will focus on how practitioners can help parents, families, and other adult caregivers develop the types of interactions needed to have a lasting positive impact on the learning of their young children with disabilities.

Objectives:

1. Explore strategies for helping families understand early communication attempts of children before language is developed or in the presence of a delay or disability
2. Explore how adult-child interactions change to promote children’s …

Home Visiting Programs For Families Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing: A Systematic Review, Nannette Nicholson, Patti Martin, Abby Smith, Sheila Thomas, Ahmad A. Alanazi M.Aud.

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Prelingual hearing loss greatly restricts a child’s language development, hindering his or her behavioral, cognitive and social functioning. Although technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants are an option for providing access to sound, they fail to teach the child how to listen or attend, how to process language (whether visual or spoken), or how to produce language and communicate. Home visiting is widely recognized as a cost-effective intervention service delivery model. Home visiting programs for promoting language development in children who are diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing have been in existence for over 50 years, yet …

Relevant Professional Development: Reflective Of Adult Learning Styles, Polli E. Soholt

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project was instigated to determine the effects of professional development (PD) for practicing Montessori teachers using the Montessori Language materials. The specific targeted materials included: vocabulary cards, sound analysis, sandpaper letters, moveable alphabet, pencil use, and reading. The research took place during a four week period in a large west coast Montessori school that serves children between 18 months and 12 years old. The teachers who participated in the study all worked with children between the ages of 3 – 6 years old. The data was collected using a provider journal (notes taken by the researcher during …

Addressing The Needs Of Young Children And Families:Early Childhood Education And Services In Catholic Schools And Catholic Charities, Sandra Barrueco, Shavaun M. Wall, Lynn M. Mayer, Marcela Blinka

Journal of Catholic Education

Nationally, focus is increasing on the developmental experiences of young children (birth to age 8). Twenty four (arch)dioceses in large metropolitan areas participated in a survey identifying the extent and nature of services provided by Catholic schools and Catholic Charities programs to young children and their families. Six hundred and seventy Catholic schools and 100 Catholic Charities programs completed surveys. Key findings suggest that Catholic schools and Catholic Charities programs are engaged in a plethora of early childhood services and educational activities with young children and families. Both entities provide direct education and services to young children, are engaged in …

Family-Friendly Science: Increasing Family Engagement In Stem Education, Alison Bixler

Honors Projects

Family engagement is vital to a child’s success in his or her academic career. Current research has focused more specifically on the relationship between parent engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and a student’s success in his or her STEM education. This paper is a summary of present research pertaining to this topic, as well as a summary of the results of a field-based study the author and faculty mentors completed to learn more about methods for engaging families in STEM education, particularly in the area of science. Present research indicates that a successful method for engaging …

A Collaborative Approach To Address Student Behavior And Academic Achievement Across Systems, Beverly Ngozi Okereke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Academic achievement and in-classroom behaviors are two significant child outcomes that affect student success in school. According to Systems Theory, in order to truly understand the factors that affect these outcomes for children, one must look to the major systems that encapsulate the child (including their school and home environments). This project is a meta-analytic review that examined the effectiveness of measures representing each system in predicting child achievement and behavior: School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) for the school as a system, level of parent involvement (high versus low) for the home system, and student motivation (intrinsic versus extrinsic) for …

Caring For Children With Severe Allergies: Establishing Protocols For Epipens And Other Medical Needs Through Collaborative Practices, William Arthur Parnell, Allison Schnur, Lynn Green

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

As educators and researchers, throughout our work with young children and families, we authors have cared for children who were prescribed an epinephrine auto-injection device to be used in the case of a severe allergic reaction. However, it wasn't until we actually had to consider using such a device, commonly referred to as an EpiPen-a popular brand of epinephrine auto-injector-that we realized the care plan for these children was unclear. In many ways, the protocols and care-taking processes for managing severe allergies felt unlike those for many other medical concerns due to the instantaneous life threatening nature, immediately needed reactions, …

Internationalizing Teacher Education: A Case Study Of A School Of Education, Florence Bromfield

Capstone Collection

Schools of Education across the US are some of the furthest behind in the race to internationalize departments across campuses in higher education. What does this mean for students in the K-12 classroom? The purpose of this case study is to explore the internationalization of teacher education within the context of a medium-sized state university in the South-East of the US. Working with the School of Education on this campus, qualitative interviews and surveys were administered to faculty and pre-service teachers to understand the extent of internationalization at the university, and the needs of the K-12 classroom. For this research, …

Emotional Self-Regulation: Voices And Perspectives Of Teachers Within Diverse Socio-Cultural Contexts, Anna Paula Peixoto Da Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the importance of emotional self-regulation to a child’s ability to develop social competence and prosocial behavior, and the significant role early childhood teachers play in supporting young children’s emotional self-regulation, it is important to explore the concept from the perspective of teachers, or from the socio-cultural context through which they (i.e., teachers) make sense of the world.

This study used an exploratory case study methodology to explore the understandings of emotional self-regulation among three Head Start teachers working with varying socio-cultural contexts and to identify the socio-cultural perspectives that influenced their ability to effectively apply their understandings.

Findings indicate …

Pathways To Kindergarten Readiness., Ashley T. Forrest, Stephanie Nutter, Deborah Rivera

College of Education & Human Development Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone was to explore pathways for increased kindergarten readiness by examining the relationship between kindergarten readiness as measured by the Brigance Kindergarten Screener (BKS) domains of cognitive/general knowledge and language/communication and each of the following variables: school funding, school location, school classification, teacher credentials, teacher years of experiences, music inclusion, and time allotted to music instruction. Participants included 174 preschool students from 17 classrooms in an urban school district. This capstone used preexisting data from the school district including demographic variables of race, socioeconomic status (SES), prior setting, attendance, and the school-level variable of climate. A …

Peer Tutoring And Cooperative Groups In The Dual Language Classroom, Cristina I. Celis

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

How do we help children practice and retain the second language in a Dual Language program? We must find effective and fun ways, like Peer Tutoring and Cooperative Groups. This research was conducted with a group of 21 six and seven year olds in a Dual Language Immersion classroom in a Title 1 school. There was a mixture of boys and girls, Latinos, African-Americans and Caucasians. Data collection was done through surveys, observations, artifacts and narratives. The data showed that while these strategies did increase vocabulary, they did not inspire the children to speak more Spanish. They still reverted back …

The Relationship Between Teachers’ Beliefs And Observed Practices: The Voices Of Two Head Start Teachers, Stephani Michelle Phelps

Masters Theses

This study examined Head Start teachers’ interactions with children in relation to teachers’ beliefs about decision making and roles in various classroom activities. The purposes of this study were to (a) document preschool teachers’ verbal interactions with children and (b) explore the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices. Participants were from two Head Start classrooms in East Tennessee, which included two teachers and 40 children ranging in age from 3-5 years. Approximately two hours of focal child observations were completed for each child over the course of 7 months. Observations captured teachers’ interactions with focal children. Two semistructured …

Is Cultural Responsiveness Part Of Effective Teaching?: Preservice Teacher Perspectives, Yasar Bodur

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which preservice elementary teachers integrated culturally responsive pedagogy into their perspectives on effective teaching and being an effective teacher and if these perspectives changed over time. Data were collected from 53 preservice teachers in the form of a perspective paper written in two consecutive semesters at the end of field experience courses. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings indicated that preservice teacher integrated issues of cultural and linguistic diversity into their perspectives minimally. Linguistic diversity was more integrated than cultural diversity. Their perspectives included less integration of …