Education Commons^™

How To : An Original Picture Book For Children, Morgan Wright

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study was focused on the creation of an original, social-emotionally oriented “how to” picture and poetry book for children ages five through seven. A wide variety of books for children, from old classics to recent publications, deal with themes relevant to children’s social-emotional lives. However, many of these books are written in narrative fiction form, or are framed using a logical, adult-centered lens. The goal of this book project was to create poetry and illustrations which authentically conveyed the unique emotional textures and roundabout logic of childhood associated with everyday experiences. Child development research included cognitive and emotional …

Indigo Was Our Class Pet: An Exploration Of Death In Children’S Literature, Nella Williams

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Death is a complicated and emotionally weighty subject. Therefore, discussing it can be taboo in early childhood classrooms. Although this is meant to protect children, the lack of discussion limits their mental and emotional processing of bereavement and ultimately undermines their understanding of death. After teaching in a Pre-K classroom with a terminally ill reptile, the author was inspired to write a children’s book about the death of a class pet. The text reviews typical developmental milestones for five-year-olds, the target age of the book. Fives are at an age where their frameworks for understanding the world are shifting; therefore, …

Lucy Takes The Stage: A Story For Children With Anxiety, Rachel Beckman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Childhood anxiety is explored through the lens of child development as well as children’s literature. The book written for this integrated masters project was created to help engage children around age 5, recognizing that it could be for ages 5-7, in thinking about anxiety. Anxiety disorders in children can take many different forms, but the major distinction between a disorder and normal worries is that it causes stress that disrupts normal functioning. Additionally, read-alouds are a common and beneficial way to introduce children to literature in schools. Young children can learn to read, take another’s perspective, as well as gain …

Play As A Social Justice Issue In Early Childhood Education, Britt Kroll

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Play is a vital part of the early childhood experience to develop in cognitive and social-emotional realms. Schools are taking away an important tool for children to process new information and build skills needed for lifelong problem-solving by allowing less time for play in early childhood classrooms. This research combines data gathered to show the unique benefits of play in both cognitive and social-emotional areas, as well as qualitative data collected in a play-based and a non-play-based classroom.

The research defends the importance of play-based learning in early childhood and equips teachers with rationale to use play as a tool …

Integrating English And Social Studies Through The Lens Of Tokugawa Japan: An 8 Week Curriculum For Sixth Grade, Mollie Sandberg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following curriculum is intended for sixth grade students in a general education, integrated English and social studies classroom. This curriculum is based on the foundational ideas of child-development, concept-based, constructivist learning, and the integration of the language arts and social studies curricula as a way to deepen students’ engagement with the curricular material. Through these central pillars the curriculum immerses students in a historical era while allowing them to develop their own understanding of the past and create connections to the world in which they live. The aim of this curriculum is for students to explore the world of …

Bringing Families In: An Examination Of Family Programs At The Museum Of Chinese In America And Other Cultural And Historical Museums In New York City, Dianne Choie

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study includes family program survey research and planning processes completed during my Master of Science in Museum Education fieldwork at the Museum of Chinese in America in New York City in the spring of 2017. This information is compared to data gathered from surveys with ten other cultural and historical museums and with the Cool Culture community program. This study also includes a literature review of studies and theories concerning child development and family learning in museums. With information from all these resources assembled, analyses of strengths, challenges, and potential areas for growth are outlined for family programs …

A Study Of Story Stones In Informal Learning Environments, Nina Berch

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper aims to provide context for the use of an open-ended tool called Story Stones for engaging young students in creative discussion. Story Stones are a collection of palm-sized rocks with transposed images attached. Student ages within this discussion range between two and seven years old, accompanied by adult caregivers in the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling in Harlem, New York and Not Just Art childhood enrichment center in Oyster Bay, New York. The method of observation and analysis consisted of presenting Story Stones in an open-ended, hands-on invitation to visitors of the museum and enrichment …

Bayou: An Original Book For Children, Taylor Hodges

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Bayou is an original picture book for children between the ages of four and six years old. Bayou is a sweet, fun-loving young cheetah. There is just one thing very different about him: he likes to take his time. He moves very slowly and enjoys playing checkers and doing puzzles. He moves so slowly that his best friend is actually a turtle. Bayou’s two older brothers do not understand how a cheetah, an animal born to be fast, can live life always moving so slowly. One day, his brothers are running around extremely fast and carelessly as usual, and they …

The Museum Of Small Things: Original Poems And Rationale, Domonique Williams

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study consists of an original children's collection of poems and an accompanying rationale. In addition to the poems, this study includes an examination of child development theories, the benefits of inquiry based teaching and learning, and makes a case for the value of family, museum, and school relationships.

My Backpack : A Children's Book About Separation, Susan B. Bloch

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis opens with a copy of "My Backpack," a fictional book based on actual events to be read to children between the ages of three and four years prior to their entry to preschool and as a support during the separation process during the first weeks and months of school. The author then continues with an explanation of the genesis of the book, a developmental section incorporating theorists' views on separation for children ages 3 and 4, children's reactions and responses to the book, and a review of other valuable books on separation.

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.

Designing Social Stories For The Brooklyn Children's Museum, Brigid Tuschen

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The author found that there was a significant amount of recent research done on how best to use social stories in the classroom and none in a museum setting, which led her to research and write two social stories for the Brooklyn Children's Museum.

Picture Books As Art : The Presence Of Children's Book Illustrations In Museums And An Analysis Of Children-Visitor Interactions At The Eric Carle Museum Of Picture Book Art, Jennifer Cusworth

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper analyzes the presence of children's picture book illustrations in cultural settings, particularly the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts and the New York Public Library in New York City, and determines how children interact with these spaces.

Working On Social And Emotional Issues By Bringing Theater And Improvisation Into The Early Childhood Classroom, Mark Penina

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study addresses the need for a social-emotional curriculum through theater techniques and improvisation to help children develop confidence, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence. Includes history of theater and improvisation, review of programs in the field, and an original curriculum for an early childhood/pre-kindergarten setting as well as field-based reflections and a list of suggested resources for integrating social and emotional wellness into the early childhood setting.

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.

Nonverbal Learning Disability (Nld) : A Case Study, Dory J. Weiss

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper describes Mary, a fourteen-year-old girl living with nonverbal learning disability (NLD). This case study focuses not only on the daily life of this individual, but also examines the research in the field that speaks to various aspects of the challenges faced by these individuals.

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).

Disability In Hiding : The Effects Of Trauma In Early Childhood And The Implications For Classroom Teachers, Dana Baker

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Seeks to define trauma within the context of early childhood and describe in depth the interrelated neurobiological, behavioral, and psychopathological effects of experienced trauma.

Fostering Global Citizens In The Infant And Toddler Classroom For The Cultivation Of A Culture Of Humanism, Stefanie Horton

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this study is to examine meaningful philosophies and practices of education and care that may contribute to the fostering of youth who respect and value the dignity of all life.

Educating Towards Democracy In Infant/Toddler Classrooms : The Example Of The Bank Street Family Center, Kristina A. Satchell

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project hopes to shed light on the possibilities and importance of including the youngest citizens of the country (children aged zero-three), their families and their teachers in the discourse and practices of democratic classrooms.

Sounds In The Neighborhood : A Curriculum For Six And Seven Year Olds, Rachel Rubinow

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study of the sounds in the neighborhood comes from a larger neighborhood study within the first grade class. Students will have the opportunity to gain more information about the neighborhood by solely listening to the sounds and making sense of these sounds.

Bank Street And Teach For America: Process And Preparation, Paul Shirk

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this paper I analyze the goals and practices of education that are implied in the mission statements and literature of Bank Street College of Education (Bank Street) and Teach for America (TFA). I noticed and struggled to understand the tension between the mission statements of the two organizations that I was a part of during my master's program. While analyzing the readings and my experiences, I began to see differences between these two organizations' theories and beliefs about child development. I considered how my experiences with children supported or refuted these beliefs. From Bank Street, I recognized many beliefs …