Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

PDF

2017

Theses/Dissertations

Preschool

Discipline
Institution
Publication

Articles 1 - 17 of 17

Full-Text Articles in Education

Design And Validation Of A Scale For Preschoolers: Measuring Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, And Behaviors, Michelle E. Johnson Dec 2017

Design And Validation Of A Scale For Preschoolers: Measuring Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, And Behaviors, Michelle E. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature indicates a lack of validated scales to measure nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in preschool-aged children. Reliable and valid assessment tools are critical in the development of nutritional interventions for young children; careful design, including psychometric evaluation of reliability and validity, is the best approach to scale development. Best practice points to an efficient, yet comprehensive look at the constructs of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This multi-phase study included 298 preschool children ages 2-6 years (151 girls, 147 boys; mean age 3.936). A 45-item scale was created, with 4 subscales to measure the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors …


Inclusive Education For Preschool Learners With Autism: A Program Evaluation, Rachel C. Morgan Nov 2017

Inclusive Education For Preschool Learners With Autism: A Program Evaluation, Rachel C. Morgan

Dissertations

This is an exploration of the perceptions and perspectives of early childhood leaders and practitioners with regards to preschool learners with autism engaged in inclusive educational settings. At a time when inclusive education is acknowledged as best practice, there is still a concern that many preschool learners with disabilities are receiving most of their supports in a segregated setting. Additional concerns noted in the current research relate directly to the beliefs, values, and attitudes towards inclusive education for learners with disabilities. No distinct study has been done with regards to this age group, nor to pinpoint the perceptions and perspectives …


Leader-Parent Relationships In The Early Childhood Education Context: An Exploration Of Testimonial And Epistemic Justice, Shirley Eileen Adams Oct 2017

Leader-Parent Relationships In The Early Childhood Education Context: An Exploration Of Testimonial And Epistemic Justice, Shirley Eileen Adams

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

In this qualitative study, I examined epistemic justice and testimonial injustice experienced by parents of children enrolled in preschool programs. I used a triadic model arising from the synthesis of Fricker’s (2003) markers of epistemic justice, Hoy and Tschannen Moran’s (1999) Five Facets of Trust and Lea’s (2006) markers of collaboration, and employed modified grounded theory (Charmaz, 2008). Public preschool programs often promise that they can ameliorate cognitive and experiential gaps experienced by children who at risk and allow them to enter kindergarten on an equal footing with their more privileged peers (Hulme, Goetz, Gooch, Adams & Snowling, 2007; Camilli …


Using Discrete Trial To Teach Functional Play Skills, Courtney Marie Furtaw Aug 2017

Using Discrete Trial To Teach Functional Play Skills, Courtney Marie Furtaw

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects that discrete trial training could have on the functional play skills of four male preschool students diagnosed with autism. In order to determine the effectiveness of discrete trial training as an intervention, baseline data was first collected for two weeks on the four students through observations of a thirty minute group playtime in the morning of their MD preschool classroom. The baseline data demonstrated that all four students were only engaging in functional play for a limited amount of time. Next, a discrete trial training program was created for each individual student focusing on functional …


The Impact Of Preschool Philosophies On Children’S Language And Literacy Acquisition: A Synthesis Of The Literature, Vanessa Coste Aug 2017

The Impact Of Preschool Philosophies On Children’S Language And Literacy Acquisition: A Synthesis Of The Literature, Vanessa Coste

Honors Capstone Projects - All

"Preschool is essential to child development including areas such as language and literacy development. There are two overall teaching methods in preschool, which are playbased and academic-based learning. This research examines a synthesis of the literatu"


Self-Monitoring: A Behavioral Intervention For Children Attending Head Start, Samantha Riggleman Aug 2017

Self-Monitoring: A Behavioral Intervention For Children Attending Head Start, Samantha Riggleman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Addressing the needs of preschoolers with behavioral problems is important, as these issues often have long-term impacts on the outcomes of students (Fox et al., 2002). Self- monitoring strategies and techniques have the potential to improve the outcomes of this population of children. Self-monitoring requires students to pay attention to a specific aspect of their behavior and record whether the behavior being monitored has occurred or not occurred (Amato-Zech et at., 2006). Although preschoolers are capable of self-monitoring (Otero & Haut, YEAR), it is not widely used in early childhood education settings for increasing compliance or appropriate behaviors. A component …


Do Spellings Of Words And Phonemic Awareness Training Facilitate Vocabulary Learning In Preschoolers?, Robin O'Leary Jun 2017

Do Spellings Of Words And Phonemic Awareness Training Facilitate Vocabulary Learning In Preschoolers?, Robin O'Leary

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of phoneme awareness training and orthography to the learning of new vocabulary words by partial alphabetic phase readers. We hypothesized that four and five year old children taught to segment words with letters would outperform those trained with shape markers and those that received no segmentation training on an invented spelling task. We also hypothesized that students seeing the spellings of new vocabulary words (names) would learn the words in fewer trials, remember the names and features better and would be able to better recognize letter labels when presented alone. …


The Effect Of Motor Skill Intervention On Preschool Aged Children's Ability To Perform Locomotor And Object Control Skills, Eleni Mayes May 2017

The Effect Of Motor Skill Intervention On Preschool Aged Children's Ability To Perform Locomotor And Object Control Skills, Eleni Mayes

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The development and proficiency of motor skills are a vital part of physical activity levels and overall health of children. Previous research has connected the level of physical activity participation in children to the amount of time spent physically active in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an object control and locomotor skill intervention on preschool-aged children's ability to produce those skills independently as assessed using the Test for Gross Motor Development-3rd Edition (TGMD-3). Participants included 19 children between the ages of 3-5 who took part in the Healthy Kids Program through the Morrison …


The Effects Of Music And Visual Cues On Transition Time In A Multi-Aged 3-5 Year Old Montessori Classroom, Jessica S. Brock May 2017

The Effects Of Music And Visual Cues On Transition Time In A Multi-Aged 3-5 Year Old Montessori Classroom, Jessica S. Brock

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to investigate the effects of music and visual cues on transition times. This research took place in a Primary Montessori classroom with children ranging from 3-5 years of age in a public, partial magnet, urban K3-8th school. Data was collected for four weeks using a transition time log, behavior tally sheets, teacher journal, and student attitude scales. The results of the study showed a slight decrease in transition times, and a larger decrease in disruptive behaviors using both music and visual cues. Although the transition time decreases were less than expected, …


Storytelling And Emotional Response To Conflict, Angela K. Boris May 2017

Storytelling And Emotional Response To Conflict, Angela K. Boris

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This research was conducted to assess the impact of daily oral storytelling and emotional response to conflict in preschool aged children. Research was done in a Montessori primary classroom with 23 students between the ages of two-and a-half and six years old. Quantitative data included tallies and averages of the total number of conflicts per week and per child and a conflict checklist to monitor any changes in language and behavior used in times of conflict. Qualitative data included observational field notes to evaluate children’s responses to and repetition of oral storytelling and a reflective journal to record any changes …


Social Interaction And Interactive Technology In The Preschool Classroom, Kristina Tobey Jan 2017

Social Interaction And Interactive Technology In The Preschool Classroom, Kristina Tobey

M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Research Projects

Increased use of technology in early childhood classrooms comes with new concerns about how technology may impact the development of social skills in young children. This mixed methods study examines how the use of a multi-touch table influences social skills and interactions of preschoolers in a head start setting. Eight children ages three to five were video recorded while using a multi-touch table during free choice time in groups of three for ten minute increments. Tracking sheets were used to track how often social interactions occurred for each child. Results indicated students played cooperatively 12% of their time and parallel …


Kindergarten Transitions: Family Perceptions Of A Kindergarten Transition Program, Sarah Allen Jan 2017

Kindergarten Transitions: Family Perceptions Of A Kindergarten Transition Program, Sarah Allen

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

While there is increasing research surrounding kindergarten transitions there is still a need to explore kindergarten transition guides and families perceptions of these particular experiences. This study explores family perceptions of a kindergarten transition program guide. Furthermore, the study examines families’ prior experiences with kindergarten transitions as they relate to being a part of a new specific kindergarten transition program. The researcher implements pre and post meetings with families surrounding an “All About Kindergarten” parent night. Additionally, surveys are distributed to those who participated in aspects of the transition process. An interview takes place to gain further insight. The conclusions …


Kindergarten Literacy Readiness Before And After Highscope Implementation, Chandra Kathleen Youngblood Jan 2017

Kindergarten Literacy Readiness Before And After Highscope Implementation, Chandra Kathleen Youngblood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who attended preschool in an urban Michigan district are not entering kindergarten with the necessary skills. The preschool implemented the HighScope curriculum and the effect of this curriculum on kindergarten readiness was unknown. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to investigate the difference in kindergarten readiness scores of students who attended a preschool before and after the High Scope curriculum was implemented. The pedagogical practices of preschool and the HighScope curriculum align with Dewey and Vygotsky's theories on experiential learning which were the foundation that guided this causal comparative study. The research questions examined preschool letter identification and …


The Giving Tree Academy, David A. Hurdle Jan 2017

The Giving Tree Academy, David A. Hurdle

CMC Senior Theses

A proposal for a new preschool based in Pomona, California, targeted towards children from low-income backgrounds. Includes extensive research on preschool nationwide, the state of California, and in Pomona. Within the paper a new preschool curriculum and specific teacher practices are discussed. Intended as a model for a new school. or to be adapted for use in educational policy.


Effect Of Public And Private Preschool Attendance On Kindergarten Literacy, Matthew Garofolo Jan 2017

Effect Of Public And Private Preschool Attendance On Kindergarten Literacy, Matthew Garofolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who enter kindergarten lacking readiness skills often struggle to meet literacy benchmarks and to successfully complete school. The problem to be investigated by this study is the low literacy scores on the standardized Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment test at 2 public New Jersey elementary schools. While some students attended public or private preschools, others did not attend any preschool prior to starting kindergarten. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the difference in kindergarten literacy gain scores among students who attended public, private, and no preschool. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and emergent literacy theory served as the …


Uncovering The Gifts In English Language Learners, Sheri J. Collier Jan 2017

Uncovering The Gifts In English Language Learners, Sheri J. Collier

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

This research study addresses the problem of practice of the underrepresentation of English language learners (ELL) in gifted and talented (GT) services. The literature provided several reasons for the underrepresentation of ELL students being identified as gifted. One reason cited in the literature was teachers’ lack of referrals or understanding the characteristics of ELL students who may be gifted (Barkan & Bernal, 1991; de Wet & Gubbins, 2011; Esquierdo & Arreguín-Anderson, 2012; Ford & Grantham, 2003; Harris, Rapp, Martínez, & Plucker, 2007). The literature also stated assessment play a major role in identification practices (Anguiano, 2003; Barkan & Bernal, 1991; …


A Review Of Video Modeling To Teach Social Skills To Preschoolers With Asd, Jordan Brovelli Jan 2017

A Review Of Video Modeling To Teach Social Skills To Preschoolers With Asd, Jordan Brovelli

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this comprehensive literature review is to evaluate if existing research studies have produced substantial evidence to determine if the use of video modeling is as an evidence based instructional tool to teach social skills to preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder. Literature was reviewed against standards suggested by What Works Clearinghouse for being an evidence-based practice. Based on the criteria set by What Works Clearinghouse for examining experimental rigor, evidence, and the requirements for practices being considered an evidence base, video modeling to teach this population of students social skills is not an evidence-based practice at …