Education Commons^™

Helping Your Child Manage Anxiety: A Parent Education Workshop, Clarissa Aglaén Gallardo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Anxiety has become one of the most common mental health disorders in young children, and it has been shown to have a significant impact on their development. Anxiety can make a child more susceptible to a number of negative effects, including a weakened immune system, developing “negative” habits such as nail biting, increased proneness to anger or crying, as well as difficulties in learning and retaining information. Conversely, when parents/caregivers can prevent or decrease anxiety in their children, children can better regulate their emotions, have more successful relationships, take more risks, and cope better with challenges. The purpose of this …

Increasing Social Awareness Skills In Kindergarten Students, Chloe Dennis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social awareness is a key component of social-emotional learning and is often underrepresented in kindergarten curriculum. Students who struggle with social awareness are at a greater risk for antisocial behaviors, low academic performance, diminished self-efficacy, low motivation, and low adaptability. Jean Piagets’ cognitive-developmental theory places kindergarten-age students in the preoperational stage of development. At this stage, children are egocentric, exhibit centrated thought, and struggle to use perspective and empathic skills. Kindness, problem-solving, and maintaining positive relationships are all rooted in social awareness and require students to move away from egocentric thinking. I designed a three-part lesson on acts of kindness …

Technology’S Impact On Students In A Virtual Environment, Leah S. Sorensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In 2020, a worldwide pandemic ensued as the coronavirus spread throughout the United States. This caused a nationwide shutdown, closing schools. All forms of education went to a virtual learning setting, where all students were expected to learn outside of a classroom. This also meant that there became a heavy reliance on technology. This setting and use of technology began to affect students’ learning and development. Through conducted research, three domains of child development are evaluated to determine the effects of this form of learning. The cognitive, physical, and social-emotional domains will be considered.

Through The Elementary School Years: Self-Regulation Predicting Social Competence With Student-Teacher Relationships As Mediators, Kelsie Anderson

Honors Theses

Using a longitudinal, nationally representative dataset, ECLS-K:2011, research was conducted to determine the predictive relationship between Self-Regulation in kindergarten and first-grade years and Social Competency in the third- and fourth-grade years of elementary school. Along with this, Student-Teacher Relationships were studied to determine if they could mediate the relationship between Self-Regulation and Social Competency. These aspects have been extensively studied individually in previous research, but this study looks at how these aspects work together and the implications that these relationships have. The current study documented that a) Working Memory predicts indices of Behavioral Engagement and Internalizing Behavior Problems in the …

From Early Childhood To Adulthood: Leader Development In Indonesia, Charlina Gozali

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Leaders influence their surroundings in many ways. In companies, leaders impact work satisfaction, commitment, and engagement (Kouzes & Posner, 2015). In schools, leaders affect student behavior and learning outcomes (Wallace, 2006). Utilizing the Productive Giftedness Model (Paik, 2013, 2015), the present research examines the individual aptitude, instructional, and environmental factors that influence the development of young leaders in Indonesia. Participants in the study were recruited by Indonesia Mengajar , a highly selective intervention program in Indonesia which aims to improve educational conditions around the nation through the mobilization and equipping of local stakeholders. In order to examine leader development from …

How Does Living In Poverty Affect Infant And Toddlers' Development?, Megan Aalgaard

Graduate Teacher Education

Research findings showed that significant development takes place during the infant and toddler years of children’s lives, however, children who lived in poverty were often faced with many challenges and life adversities that affected development (Brewer, 2007). Children’s language development, physical health, cognitive development, and social-emotional skills were often negatively impacted when children grew up and lived in poverty (Brito, 2017). Also, distress among parents from the exposure to poverty negatively affected the quality of parent and child interactions (Evans & Kim, 2013). This paper synthesized various available research on poverty’s negative effects on children’s development, as well as discussed …

Childhood And Trauma: The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On The Brain, Behavior, And Learning In The Elementary School Classroom, Aeryn Aguilar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

A variety of studies have been conducted on how trauma, caused by emotional, physical, or verbal abuse, impact children’s lives. Many of the studies which involved observations and assessments were done with the preexisting knowledge that these children had been through a traumatic experience. Instead of looking at behavior of known cases, this study’s goal is to find out whether or not children’s observable behaviors can predict cases of trauma. For example, is acting out or defiance a key sign of trauma or is it part of the typical development for the elementary school-age group? This thesis takes into account …

Profiles Of School Readiness And Implications For Children's Development Of Academic, Social, And Engagement Skills, Elizabeth Jane Tremaine

Dissertations and Theses

Academic achievement gaps across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are apparent as soon as children enter kindergarten: racial minorities, Hispanics, and poor children begin school at a distinct disadvantage compared to their White peers from middle- and high-income families (Chatterji, 2005; Fryer, Jr. & Levitt, 2004; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004; Magnuson & Waldfogel, 2005; Reardon, 2011). To understand these gaps at kindergarten entry, it is essential that researchers understand the skills with which children enter kindergarten.

Previous research on school readiness has been limited by variable-centered methods that separate components of school readiness (e.g., early academic skills, social …

A Retro Development In Education: Evaluating The Feasibility Of Integrating Place-Based Education Into Mississippi Curriculum Standards, Colby K. Mcclain

Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates the feasibility of integrating place-based environmental education activities from Think Green, Take Action: Books and Activities for Kids into the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Frameworks for Science and Social Studies for K-5. As children develop and experience the world, their ability to understand and interpret the surrounding environments expand; however, Mississippi schools are not focused on experiential environmental education, even though experiencing and understanding the surrounding environment is vital in fostering eagerness to learn. Due to a growing disconnect between humans and the natural world, this thesis examined 37 place- and environment-based activities for children, sixteen …

Female Superiority In Social Cognition: Can Pretend Play Help The Boys Catch Up?, Maria Weiss

Scripps Senior Theses

The effect of pretend play on 150 (~ 75 girls; 75 boys; M=3 yro) preschool children’s social cognition will be assessed through a semester long intervention study. Research has reported a trend of female superiority in empathy and ToM and a likelihood of young girls to engage in pretend play more frequently and to a higher degree than young boys. Previous research has also found a relationship between play and social cognition, as through the act of imagination, one is able to thoroughly take on the perspectives of someone other than the self. This study attempts to show a …

The Role Of Emotional Support Consistency And Child Risk Factors In Predicting Pre-K Cognitive And Social-Emotional Development, Amy Lynn Cannell-Cordier

Dissertations and Theses

The quality of children's daily experiences in preschool classrooms is predictive of their school readiness and later achievement (Duncan et al., 2007; La Paro & Pianta, 2000). One particularly important aspect of these experiences is the quality of emotional support provided by teachers and peers in the classroom (Hamre & Pianta, 2005; Howes et al., 2008; Mashburn, 2008; National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, 2012). Traditionally, emotional support quality has been calculated as the average of ratings taken across the school year and is meant to represent children's average daily experience, without regard to any variability which exists within …

Romps, Riots, And Revels In The Land Of Make-Believe : Imaginative Play As A Prerequisite For Social And Emotional Development In Early Childhood Through Adolescence, Shoshana Balk

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper explores the impact of imaginative play on child development, as well as its educational benefits when incorporated into the learning environment.

The Influence Of The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Program On Child Development: Through The Eyes Of Moms And Home Visitors, Debra L. Lockwood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

MIHOW, the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker Program, is a parent-to-parent home visitation program that aims to enhance early childhood development in economically disadvantaged and geographically isolated families with children from birth to three. This qualitative case study conducted in two rural Appalachian counties examined the perceptions and experiences of moms and home visitors regarding the influence MIHOW has on child development. Findings were interpreted in relation to extant literature on the prevention of developmental delays. Five themes emerged from the data. The first theme related to the developmental checklists and screening materials and moms’ understanding of how the checklists …

A Study & Original Material On Peer Relationships & Concepts Of Friendship In Very Young Children, Maia A. Cannon

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores theory, observation, and practice dealing with friendship issues among three to four year old preschoolers. It sketches a portrait of the age group using general developmental and socio-cultural theories, and concludes that social emotional adjustment and relationships are crucial to young children's development. Also includes an original picture book by the author.

Supporting The Development Of Executive Functioning Skills In Sixth Grade Students, Anne Davidson Anderson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This integrative master's project explores how teachers can support the development of executive functioning skills in sixth grade students at the particular school where the author is a learning specialist (though many of the findings and recommendations can be generalized to other settings).

Developmentally-Appropriate Practice In The Classroom, Rayna Kailynn Prothro

Theses Digitization Project

Early childhood research literature has shown that develpmentally-appropriate practice (DAP) has a multitude of positive effects on young children's development including emotional, social, cognitive, and neurological benefits. When DAP is practiced by teachers, children are engaged in low stress learning activities, their social development is supported, and their classroom envirornment supports their cognitive and brain development. DAP provides an environment that supports all children academically.

The Classroom Environment: The Silent Curriculum, Brittany Allen, Katie Hessick

Psychology and Child Development

This senior project focused on the physical environment of elementary school classrooms, with a particular emphasis on how environmental factors influence behavior and academic achievement. Such environmental factors included lighting, color, acoustics, temperature, seating arrangements, space and crowding, and living kinds such as plants and animals. Previous research has demonstrated a connection between student behavior and the classroom environment. Taylor and Vlastos (2009) developed a theory regarding the relationship between environment and design within the classroom. They referred to the physical environment of the classroom as the “silent curriculum” and hold strongly to the belief that understanding the physical environment …

What Archetypes Of Representation Do Children Between The Ages Of Four And Seven Employ When Creating Route Maps Of Familiar Interior Spaces?, Christine G. Price

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigated the symbols of representation young children choose to incorporate when they draw route maps of familiar interior spaces, based on the premise that development of map-making skills might unfold in much the same stage-like manner as the development of the ability to draw the human figure. In this investigation, children between the ages of 4 and 7 enrolled in a small independent elementary school were each asked to draw a map showing the route a person unfamiliar to the school would take to travel from the child's classroom to the school gymnasium. Strategies during map-making were noted; …

A Catalyst For Culture: Early Child Development And Education In Japan, Kate Swenson

Senior Scholar Papers

A popular Western perception of Japan is that it is an eminently homogeneous and conformist society. However, both conformity and homogeneity, recognized even by the Japanese themselves, coexist with the concept of individuality, which is valued in a manner unique to its culture. In order to come to a deeper understanding of that dynamic, it is important to comprehend the specifics of child rearing and education within Japanese society. Based in part on the author's observational fieldwork conducted while in Japan in 1994, the thesis explicates the manner in which various core relationships exhibit the socialization of an individual that …

The Importance Of Play, Laura V. Douglas

Education Student Dissertations

While reading the "Principles of Educational Sociology" by Walter Robinson Smith, the writer was deeply impressed by the statement that "Next to the family group and home life, the play group and play life exert the most vital influence upon the unfolding personality of the child." The writer wondered if it was the absence of play life, as American born children of fair social background experience it, that would in some measure explain the dullness of the Italian-American child of Sicilian and Neapolitan origin, who, as the writer knew him, was so lovable, so anxious and eager to please and …