Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Small-Group Multisensory Instructional Techniques On Kindergarteners’ Letter Sound Knowledge, Karly Walker

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was driven by the researcher’s interest in multisensory instructional techniques and the effect it can have on kindergarten students’ letter sound knowledge to aid in strengthening pre-reading skills. The researcher compared results of a control (traditional learning) group versus a treatment (multisensory learning) group of eight at-risk students while monitoring progress weekly using FastBridge earlyReading letter sound subtest. The research was conducted to analyze the effectiveness of multisensory instruction within small group learning. The researcher used a four-way factorial design test to analyze the control and the treatment group’s pre- and post-test scores in letter sound fluency. …

Promoting More Play In Kindergarten, Sarah Hofland

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Kindergarten has changed immensely over the years. It is currently driven by academic standards. Kindergarten teachers use much of the day to implement direct instruction and seat work to meet the higher demands in reading and math. The problem is that this type of learning is not developmentally appropriate for kindergarteners. Research shows that play is the central way in which children at the kindergarten age learn. To be developmentally appropriate, this school improvement plan aims at initiating more time spent playing during the kindergarten day.

Early Childhood Teachers' Experiences In Collaboration Practices Related To Developing Professionally: A Qualitative Case Study, Linda Alston-Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine early childhood teachers’ experiences in collaboration practices to support teacher professional development in three early childhood schools in Central New Jersey. The theory guiding this study was social cognitive theory by Bandura (1986), which focuses on learning through observations and social interactions. Bandura’s theory aligned with the study and revealed how collaborative opportunities are utilized as an approach to help teachers learn from each other and develop professionally. However, specific activities underlying the professional development of teachers during the collaborative sessions need more exploration. The research included data regarding early …

Implementing Play-Based Learning, Brooke Patton

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan discusses play-based learning (PBL), a subject often debated within an early childhood setting. This plan will review current research to define what play- based learning is and the impact PBL learning has on the development of preschool and kindergarten students. Research shows that PBL learning can be highly effective for academic growth and that children learn best in this type of setting. PBL lets children make connections between their personal lives and their environment. In addition, it provides children with joyful experiences associated with their learning, adds motivation, and keeps children’s attention. Consistent, intentional planning that …

Improving Understanding Of Mathematics Concepts In Kindergarten Students Through Movement Integration, Kendall Stallings

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project stemmed from the noticeable benefit of movement woven throughout the Wilson Fundations curriculum in developing early phonemic awareness. Knowing that kindergarteners have a natural inclination to move, this project aimed to determine whether similar benefits of movement could be garnered in mathematics instruction by boosting number sense and fact fluency. Participants completed an end-of-unit assessment and then received instruction with movement integration for the following unit before completing its endof- unit assessment. Assessment scores were converted into the school’s grading scale of M, W, or B, and a chi-square test of association was used to determine …

Leaving Kindergarten Well: First-Grade Readiness In Outdoor Waldorf Kindergartens, Garry H. Oak

Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers

This article proposes an intervention to address the complex needs of children in outdoor Waldorf kindergartens. The intervention suggests integrating cultural responsiveness practices, remedial education, and outdoor teacher training competency into existing teacher training programs. By adopting this comprehensive approach, new teachers can acquire the necessary tools to meet the diverse needs of their students and adapt to the challenges of modern education. Ongoing professional development programs are also recommended to enable teachers to continuously enhance their skills throughout their careers. This multi-pronged solution aims to establish a more equitable and effective educational system that considers various dimensions of children's …

Self-Study Portfolio - Samantha Picone, Samantha Picone

Master of Education in Teacher Leadership Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Let Them Be Little: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Kindergarten Teachers During An Era Of Educational Reform, Rachel Denise Whites

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences and perceptions of kindergarten teachers who taught through an era of federally mandated, standards-based educational reforms. This study was guided by two theories as each contributes to an explanation as to how educational reform has strayed far from the central purpose for kindergartens. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development sought to explain how a child constructs a mental model of the world and postulated that there are four distinct stages of human development from birth to adulthood. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory stated that children learn through play and the …

The Positive Impact Of Social And Emotional Learning, Alexi Allen

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was inspired by the researcher’s own district and classroom. The district has core values and competencies under their mission and vision that include excellence in SEL instruction district wide. The district focuses on teaching the SEL competences and SEL standards to help students graduate and show success in life. Based on classroom observations, the researcher hypothesized that children taught socio-economic skills would display more positive behaviors and greater motivation to complete classroom tasks. The participants in this six-week study included 20 kindergarten students, ages four through six. During the week prior to the intervention, data was tracked …

St Math Student Outcomes: Response To Goal-Setting And Mathematical Supports When Applied To The St Math Problem-Solving Process, Sara Klein

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to identify the impacts of goal setting and the use of mathematical tools on student performance while engaged in ST Math. The study was conducted in eight Kindergarten classrooms across eleven elementary schools in Northeast Iowa. Quantitative data was collected to monitor the following indicators: number of puzzles completed, average student velocity, and average percent journey completion at weekly intervals throughout the collection period. Those results were then analyzed to determine impacts based on the presence of the goal setting and mathematical tools innovations within individual classrooms compared to those that did …

Effects Of Differentiated Literacy Instruction In A Kindergarten Classroom, Brenda Nagel

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if using differentiating literacy in kindergarten led to more successful student achievement. This included implementing multi-sensory learning, learning styles, positive relationships, and relevant, specific data. The researcher is a kindergarten teacher in her 6th year of teaching, where her own students participated in the class-wide intervention. The timeline for conducting this action research was eight weeks. This included the quantitative phonics pre-assessment through FAST (Formative Assessment System for Teachers), implementation of differentiated literacy activities tailored to various learning styles, collection of purposeful and relevant quantitative data, and a post-assessment on literacy …

Predicting Language Performance From Narrative Language Samples, Kimberly A. Murphy, Alisha P. Springle, Mollee J. Sultani, Autumn Mcilraith, Language And Reading Research Consortium (Larrc)

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: Analysis of narrative language samples is a recommended clinical practice in the assessment of children’s language skills, but we know little about how results from such analyses relate to overall oral language ability across the early school years. We examined the relations between language sample metrics from a short narrative retell, collected in kindergarten, and an oral language factor in grades kindergarten through 3. Our specific questions were to determine the extent to which metrics from narrative language sample analysis are concurrently related to language in kindergarten and predict language through Grade 3. Method: Participants were a sample …

Kindytxt: A Free Text Messaging Program For Kindergarten Children And Families, Lennie Barblett, Nicola Johnson, Caroline Barratt-Pugh, Susan Hill

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

• This project focused on developing, delivering and evaluating a literacy text-messaging program for parents / carers with a child at kindergarten in WA.
• Texts were delivered weekly over 30 weeks, in collaboration with Better Beginnings. Families were invited to participate through a flyer in the book gifting bag delivered by local librarians to families attending kindergarten across Western Australia.
• Kindergarten teachers and librarians from 16 LGAs attended workshops to establish kindergarten-family library partnerships, along with the production and evaluation of a partnership framework and implementation materials.
• Evaluation involved all participants, with in-depth data collected from participants in six communities.

Preschool Teachers' Lived Experiences Embracing Challenges In Preparing Students For Kindergarten: A Phenomenological Study, Rhodora A. Alonzo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology was to describe pre-school teachers’ lived experiences embracing challenges in preparing students for kindergarten at a public school district in Mid-Atlantic State. The theory that guides this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory keying in on the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which represents the amount of learning possible by a student, given the proper instructional conditions. The research questions include, “What do pre-school teachers perceive as challenges to preparing students for kindergarten?” “What are teachers’ perceptions about the importance of alignment between the pre-school and kindergarten programs?” “What are markers of pre-school students that …

Exploring Kindergarten Teachers’ Classroom Practices And Beliefs In Writing, Ying Guo, Cynthia Puranik, Megan Schneider Dinnesen, Anna H. Hall

Publications

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how kindergarten teachers teach writing and their beliefs about writing instruction using survey methodology. Participants in this study included 78 kindergarten teachers in the United States. Results revealed that most kindergarten teachers used a balanced approach to writing instruction, combining instructional procedures from two common methods for teaching writing: skills instruction and process writing. The majority of kindergarten teachers devoted considerable time to writing instruction (36 min a day) and student writing (24 min a day) and used most of the instructional practices included in the survey to teach writing. These …

Academic Advantages Of Increased Classroom Movement In Kindergarten, Elizabeth Hill

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Modern kindergarten classrooms are academically rigorous learning environments with high expectations placed on young learners. Oftentimes, these students still receive an education based on traditional instructional strategies that no longer benefit and challenge young learners appropriately. This literature review examines the academic benefits of intentional classroom movement, kinesthetic learning, brain breaks and the impact they have on learning in the kindergarten setting. This literature review presents peer reviewed research studies conducted within the last ten years that investigate the most advantageous methods of movement incorporation in the classroom. The findings of this literature review conclude that, by increasing classroom movement, …

Incorporating Physical Activity Breaks Before Math Improves Students Overall On-Task Behavior, Larissa Surprenant

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study will focus on incorporating physical activity before math into a Kindergarten classroom, to help improve on-task behavior. The study was conducted over a four-week period in one Kindergarten classroom. Data was collected to determine if physical activity or brain breaks help improve students' on-task behavior during the math mini-lesson. Two weeks consisted of the students not receiving the brain break/physical activity intervention and the next two weeks consisted of implementing the brain break/physical activity intervention. After the four-week trial, students showed increased on-task behavior after completing the brain break/physical activity. The conclusion stated …

Comparison Of Play-Based Learning Versus Worksheets In English Language Arts Growth, Erin Wiskus

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research is to compare the data of kindergarten student’s growth in ELA (English Language Arts) through the use of play-based learning strategies against students who utilize worksheets as part of their instruction in order to determine if one instructional method is more effective than the other in demonstrating academic growth in English Language Arts. One group of students participated in play-based learning strategies while the other group utilized worksheets as an extension of learning. Both groups were given weekly pretests and posttests in the areas of: letter identification, CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words, digraphs, and …

Evidence-Based Best Practices For Kindergarten Reading, Rachel Dolehanty

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review aims to highlight evidence-based best practices for kindergarten reading instruction. Popular reading curriculums and instructional cueing strategies are discussed in relation to their effectiveness for kindergarten reading success. Meaning-emphasis versus code- emphasis reading curriculum philosophies are explored, and specific curriculums that fall into these categories are discussed. Metacognition strategies and their relation to successful reading instruction are underscored. Interventions are examined in the areas of kindergarten phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, and writing. Successful interventions in each of these areas of literacy instruction are highlighted through current research.

Lesson Plan, Social Studies, Kindergarten, Diana Rocha

Fall Workshop November 2020

TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills): TEKS 113.11, 113.12 113.13,113.14, 113.5,113.6

Lesson objective(s): 1.Students will be able to compare and contrast local leaders with those leaders listed on books (ex. Martin Luther King vs. Alonso Perales) 2. Students will be able to make connections among different ethnic background lead.

Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs: Teacher will model what the activity will look like. Divide class into groups to assist each other.

"The Wonderful World Of Dr. Seuss Club", Meagan Heimbrecht, Charlie Croteau, Kylee Sodomka

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Exploring the world through Dr. Seuss! A club geared for young elementary schoolers in hopes of promoting reading and curiosity! From Oobleck to puppets to writing their own book, this club is simple yet takes a student on a new adventure every week!

Using Kinesthetic Motions And Visuals To Help Promote Sight Word Recognition Through Snap Words, Lisa Charbonneaux

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project studied the impact kinesthetic motions and visuals had on sight word recognition in kindergarten students. Over the course of seven weeks, 28 students from two kindergarten classrooms were given sight word instruction. The experimental group included kinesthetic motions and visuals through the use of Snap Word cards with their sight word instruction. The control group received sight word instruction by presenting the sight word without added kinesthetic motions or visuals. The experimental group included 15 students and the control group consisted of 13 students. Students from both the control and experimental groups were given identical pre …

Preparing Incoming Kindergarteners And Parents For The Transition Into Kindergarten, Jessica Kempema

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The move into kindergarten is a critical transition for kindergarten students and their parents as the transition can impact the child’s academics journey through school. It is essential that preschool and elementary schools prepare families for the transition. This action research project studies the question: how can schools make the transition into kindergarten smoother for both incoming kindergarteners and their parents? The researcher reviewed data from the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment of 26 kindergarten students and also conducted a parent survey to determine how schools can better prepare students and parents during the move into kindergarten. The study found the transition …

Social Emotional Learning And Its Effects On Behaviors In The Kindergarten Classroom, Nicole Bruce

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to determine the impact of explicit social emotional instruction in the kindergarten classroom. Quantitative data was collected through behavior reports to determine the effects that this instruction had on students' behavior. The kindergarten class consisted of 20 students, including eleven females and nine males. The research was done during winter of 2019-2020. Social emotional lessons were implemented over a four-week period to the kindergarten class. Data were collected to determine if negative behaviors decreased after implementing these lessons. It was concluded that implementing social emotional instruction for the four-week period did have …

Executive Function And Self Regulation In Early Childhood, Jill Casey

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

There has been a shift in the kindergarten classroom from one filled with play and exploration to one filled with academic rigor. In response to this, the focus of many preschool classrooms have also shifted to focus more on academic development rather than social emotional development. Executive function skills, which include inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility have been found to predict academic success and school readiness more than IQ. Self-regulation which refers to controlling behavior in response to a stimulus is interrelated with executive function and also is a predictor of success. Caregivers and early childhood classrooms must …

The Relationship Between Entrance Age And Academic Achievement In Literacy Skills For Kindergarten Students In A Rural School, Rebecca Ann Brower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parents and teachers are faced with the difficult question of when to enroll their children in kindergarten to be the most academically successful in a rural area. Some parents have started enrolling children in kindergarten at the age of four, despite not being cognitively ready based on the information-processing theory. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between entrance age and the academic achievement of literacy skills for kindergarten students in a rural area. A correlational design was utilized to test the strength and direction of the relationship between two quantitative variables: age and reading achievement in …

K-2 Assessments And Later Student Outcomes, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Josh B. Mcgee

Policy Briefs

In this brief we examine the characteristics of the districts that selected the various assessments and consider student outcomes both before and after the K-2 vendor selection to see what relationship, if any, exists between which assessment vendor was selected and students academic proficiency and growth.

A Study Of Kindergarten Language Screening Performance Across Schools With Variable Demographic Compositions, Baylee Lackey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Quick Interactive Language Screener (QUILS) for language impairment was designed and normed for children of diverse backgrounds. This study examined the utility of the QUILS in a diverse school district by comparing failure rates across five elementary schools. Schools varied in racial composition (non-White range: 20.45 – 80%) and socioeconomic status (free/reduced lunch qualified range: 35.35 – 100%). Among 321 currently-enrolled kindergartners, 272 completed the QUILS. Using author recommendations for kindergarten-aged cutoff scores, the district-wide screening failure rate for primarily monolingual English speakers (n = 212; via parent questionnaire) was 16.51% (range: 7.69 – 34.29% per school). Failure rates …

The Use Of Learning Centers In The Kindergarten Classroom, Debra J. Hamand

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review discusses the necessity of learning centers in the kindergarten curriculum. The review first looks at pioneers in the field of education and how they feel children learn best. Learning centers is defined and tells why it should be in the kindergarten classroom and the benefits it offers. The review will discuss the legislation of why some people feel that play-based learning should be taken away from the school system and schools should only focus on academics. Today with high stakes testing and meeting state standards there is no time for learning centers. There are many challenges that …

Improving Kindergartener’S Initiative To Problem Solve Through Integrated Stem, Jessica Walston

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Many teachers are familiar with students who are scared to try to solve a problem and instead look to adults for specific answers. Students need to be prepared to solve problems independently and collaboratively. One of the necessary skills to solve a problem is to first try, or take initiative. The purpose of this action research was to identify Kindergarten students’ initial initiative to problem solve by formal evaluation of student learning-related skills, taken from the Cooper-Farran Behavioral Rating Scale (1991). In this study, students were provided opportunities to take the initiative to problem solve through a series of integrated …