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- Occasional Paper Series (9)
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Articles 1 - 30 of 35
Full-Text Articles in Education
Picturebooks And Gender : Making Informed Choices For Equitable Early Childhood Classrooms., Kathryn F. Whitmore, Christie Angleton, Emily L. Zuccaro
Picturebooks And Gender : Making Informed Choices For Equitable Early Childhood Classrooms., Kathryn F. Whitmore, Christie Angleton, Emily L. Zuccaro
Kathryn Whitmore
We examine picturebooks through a feminist lens, understanding that children’s literature and media can limit and expand how young children access gender representations. We describe four categories that increase teacher knowledge to select books with multiple and varied gender representations for children in their classrooms. These four categories are gender binaries, discourses of childhood innocence, intersectionality, and heteronormativity. We illustrate each category with two quality books that maintain and disrupt each theme. We hope teachers will find the categories useful for thoughtfully selecting books for classroom libraries, read aloud, and discussion.
Effects Of Social-Emotional Education On Pre-Kindergarten Student Academic Achievement, Lauren Pierce Starnes
Effects Of Social-Emotional Education On Pre-Kindergarten Student Academic Achievement, Lauren Pierce Starnes
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Social-emotional education is an ongoing area of interest to optimize student achievement and ameliorate problem behaviors. This study examines the systematic effects of social-emotional education on preschool students’ academic achievement testing. A sample of Pre-Kindergarten students from private, suburban preschools was examined for this study. The results of this study yielded strong positive academic achievement scores in the domains of Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Early Math for students exposed to a social-emotional education program compared to a matched sample not exposed to social-emotional education. The results add to the research on social-emotional education by studying a lesser-studied population of …
The Effects Of Collaboration On Teacher Empowerment, Brittany Kay Feinauer
The Effects Of Collaboration On Teacher Empowerment, Brittany Kay Feinauer
Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers
The purpose of this action research project was to measure the effects that collaborative curriculum planning had on three early childhood classrooms in a private Montessori school. The study population included six early childhood teachers who collectively designed a curriculum and helped collect data for the first seven weeks of the intervention. Each participant filled out a teacher feedback form which was based on Spreitzer’s (1995) psychological empowerment scale to measure changes in perceptions of four different aspects of empowerment: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. The primary researcher also analyzed data from individual teacher journals, notes from weekly discussions, and …
Environmental Modification And Teacher Mediation: Impact On The Literacy Behaviors Of Preschoolers With Special Needs, Aaron R. Deris, Cynthia Dicarlo, Dana Wagner, Kellie Krick-Oborn
Environmental Modification And Teacher Mediation: Impact On The Literacy Behaviors Of Preschoolers With Special Needs, Aaron R. Deris, Cynthia Dicarlo, Dana Wagner, Kellie Krick-Oborn
Special Education Department Publications
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of modifications to the environment and a teacher mediated intervention in regard to the early literacy behaviors of preschoolers receiving early childhood special education services. There were three classrooms targeted. Out of the three classrooms, there was a focus on nine children with developmental delay. Step one was to complete a classroom assessment to identify the early literacy supports needed for each classroom. Step two was to collect baseline literacy behaviors during center time, a period when children are allowed to choose their activities. Step 3 was to implement the …
Monday, September 17 And Urn [Poems], Rella Stuart-Hunt
Monday, September 17 And Urn [Poems], Rella Stuart-Hunt
Occasional Paper Series
Stuart-Hunt recounts the difference in play styles of a four-year-old girl before and after losing her mother in the September 11 attack. This is followed by a poem she has written titled "Urn".
Picture Vocabulary Growth In Students With And Without Disabilities In An Early Childhood Program That Targets Poor Families, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis
Picture Vocabulary Growth In Students With And Without Disabilities In An Early Childhood Program That Targets Poor Families, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis
Poster Presentations
We compared growth in the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test between children with disabilities and children without disabilities in Educare Central Maine, a highly resourced data-driven Birth-5 early care and education program that targets children at risk of school failure because of socioeconomic factors. Children with disabilities made up 13% of enrollment. Children with disabilities tended to catch up with the typically developing children as they spent more time in Educare.
Teaching My Child To Resist In Kindergarten, Christine Ferris
Teaching My Child To Resist In Kindergarten, Christine Ferris
Occasional Paper Series
Ferris describes how she taught her son to resist in his kindergarten classroom while drawing on her own experiences as an educator. Their experience draws attention to common teaching methods that do not promote socialization or free thinking. This also highlights the issues that can arise when the value system of a school does not align with a family's own beliefs - especially when alternative schools are not a viable option.
The Power Of More Than One, Jane King
The Power Of More Than One, Jane King
Occasional Paper Series
Jane King reflects on her experiences as a preschool teacher eager to use methods outside of the norm. She resists activities that encourage homogeneity and strives to promote autonomy and free thinking in her students. After transitioning from teacher to parent, she still uses this philosophy to make small changes in her daughter's classroom and encourage her children to engage in acts of resistance and critical thinking both in and out of school.
The Pleasure Of Resistance: Jouissance And Reconceiving "Misbehavior", Peter Taubman
The Pleasure Of Resistance: Jouissance And Reconceiving "Misbehavior", Peter Taubman
Occasional Paper Series
Taubman offers an alternative to resistance theory through Lacanian psychoanalysis and Lacan's concept of jouissance - a term associated with intense pleasure. Through this perspective, it is important to understand why children resist on an individual level. An appreciation of the jouissance in schools would work against the impulse to domesticate, to control or to appropriate the subjectivities of students and children.
Everyday Tactics And The Carnavalesque: New Lenses For Viewing Resistance In Preschool, Joseph Tobin
Everyday Tactics And The Carnavalesque: New Lenses For Viewing Resistance In Preschool, Joseph Tobin
Occasional Paper Series
Tobin builds upon Steve Schultz's argument that young children’s resisting authority in preschool is a rehearsal or training ground for resisting authority later in life. Using this perspective, this article turns to theories of power and resistance to help us understand everyday events in preschools, and to suggest implications for the choices we make as adults who work with young children.
From Resistance To Rebellion, And Rebellion To Revolution: Notes On Transformation In First Grade, Jenna Laslocky
From Resistance To Rebellion, And Rebellion To Revolution: Notes On Transformation In First Grade, Jenna Laslocky
Occasional Paper Series
Laslocky, a first grade teacher, reflects on her experiences with child rebellion and resistance throughout a school year and the methods she implemented to handle conflict. Through the rebellious actions of a new student, the dynamic of the classroom was tested. It was only when the children began appreciating differences and making genuine efforts to be kind that a true revolution occurred.
Building Higher Than We Are Tall: The Power Of Narrative Inquiry In The Life Of A Teacher, Stephanie Bevacqua
Building Higher Than We Are Tall: The Power Of Narrative Inquiry In The Life Of A Teacher, Stephanie Bevacqua
Occasional Paper Series
Bevacqua offers two anecdotes from her teaching career that illustrate young children testing the limits of classroom rules and exploring their autonomy and agency. She reflects on her career as a progressive teacher who works to redefine traditional power relations in the classroom by supporting the children’s investigation of community rules and codes of appropriate behavior.
Teaching Emergent Bilingual Learners With Disabilities And Challenging Behaviors In Preschool, Pamela Brillante, Karen N. Nemeth
Teaching Emergent Bilingual Learners With Disabilities And Challenging Behaviors In Preschool, Pamela Brillante, Karen N. Nemeth
Journal of Multilingual Education Research
Challenging behaviors in young children can result from a variety of factors that may interact to make it difficult for teachers to find effective instructional solutions. The authors of this article provide an overview of research that focuses on understanding challenging behavior in young children. It describes a research-based model, the Pyramid model, intended to support the development of social competence in young children. Classroom practice suggestions with some vignettes are provided to illustrate how teachers may implement this model with children that experience challenging behaviors and ways in which their practice could be transformed. The article concludes with recommendations …
The Arizona Kith And Kin Project, Sarah Ocampo-Schlesinger, Vicki Mccarty
The Arizona Kith And Kin Project, Sarah Ocampo-Schlesinger, Vicki Mccarty
Occasional Paper Series
In 1999, soon after the federal welfare reform was enacted, many people in Pheonix, Arizona were transitioning off of welfare and into the workforce. When considering job development in any any community, the focus shifts to child care needs. A study of child care needs in the area revealed that most parents were relying on family, friends, and neighbors for care. The Association for Supportive Child Care (ASCC) became committed to reaching out to the underserved population of kith and kin caregivers in their communities to provide training and support.
Introduction: Perspectives On Family, Friend And Neighbor Child Care, Rena Rice
Introduction: Perspectives On Family, Friend And Neighbor Child Care, Rena Rice
Occasional Paper Series
Introduces a series of essays that explore family, friend, and neighbor child care. This form of child care has often been portrayed as "substandard, unregulated care" without any adequate research to support this claim. In 2005, the National Alliance for Family, Friend and Neighbor Child Care was formed. This series aims to encourage greater recognition of the role that kith and kin caregivers play in the child care continuum - offering a review of recent research, programs, and policy.
The Importance Of Play In Early Childhood Education, Melissa Irvin
The Importance Of Play In Early Childhood Education, Melissa Irvin
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
This literature review stresses the importance of play for all early learners. The review begins by discussing the history of play and its impact on the evolution of family dynamics over time. Studies have shown that playing provides a safe and necessary way for young learners to be able to practice and experience a variety of life skills, including problem solving within a peer group while gaining and enhancing language skills. Through daily play, young children gain valuable life experiences through a variety of roles that will support growth and ultimately translate into adulthood. According to research, play is an …
Behavior Modification: Addressing The Challenging Behaviors Within An Early Childhood Program, Marie Gewiss
Behavior Modification: Addressing The Challenging Behaviors Within An Early Childhood Program, Marie Gewiss
Graduate Education Student Scholarship
Addressing challenging behaviors in our Early Childhood Programs will always be a topic of concern for the teachers as well as for the students. One solution in avoiding misbehavior is to find the antecedent before the behavior can begin to be a disruption. A discussion of the consequences are also important aspects for children and adults to understand when thinking about how to control an unwanted act of aggression. “Aggressive behavior usually follows an event that the patient perceives as provocative. Types of provocation include perceptions of disrespectful treatment; unfairness/injustice; frustration/interruption; annoying traits, and irritations” (Daffern & Tonkin, 2010, para. …
Addressing Behavioral Deficits In Early Childhood Education: Promoting Positive Socio-Emotional Development Through Dramatic Play, Abbi Strobbe
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
This paper investigates the detrimental effects behavior can have on a child’s social-emotional development and the vital role dramatic play opportunities have in overcoming these developmental deficits. A child’s trajectory for success in school begins in early childhood. Children experience meaningful connections to learning, as well as higher teacher and peer approval, when they are capable of maintaining positive interactions in the classroom. For this to occur, children must have a solid foundation in socio-emotional skills such as expression, understanding, and regulation. Behavioral deficits impede development and reduce the likelihood of academic achievement. However, application of early behavioral and social …
Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Evidence Based Practices, Michaela Creighton
Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Evidence Based Practices, Michaela Creighton
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
Each child that has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is different. However, they have similar characteristics in that they lack communication, social, and adaptive skills. As well as reduced cognitive functioning and gross motor skills. This literature review will look at some of the evidence-based practices for teaching children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It provides information on how to implement them in the early childhood classroom, and focuses on how each practice allows the teacher to adapt it to the student with ASD in one's classroom. It is important that trainings are offered for …
Flexible Seating In The Early Childhood Classroom, Chasity L. Hardin
Flexible Seating In The Early Childhood Classroom, Chasity L. Hardin
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
Flexible seating has become a recent trend in education. As teachers try to reach the different needs of learners, flexible seating is another way to allow students to comfortably be engaged in learning. Flexible seating gives children the power to choose. Giving them the power of choice, gives students ownership over their participation and engagement in the classroom. Flexible seating can include a variety of options including scoop rockers, pillows, disc o’ sits, standing desks, therapy balls, and many more options. Some professionals are beginning to note that students are often more engaged in their learning when flexible seating options …
An Exploration Of The Math Names For Numbers: An Early Childhood Mathematics Intervention, Suzanne Magargee
An Exploration Of The Math Names For Numbers: An Early Childhood Mathematics Intervention, Suzanne Magargee
Theses & Dissertations
A longitudinal study of the effects of an early childhood mathematics intervention was conducted in 2 private elementary schools in a large city in central Texas. The study included 377 participants in prekindergarten through fifth grades. Explicit non-inverted number names were taught in English and Spanish to prekindergarten and kindergarten students, with formative assessments conducted during this timeframe. Summative assessment results from standardized achievement tests were collected in grades 1 through 5 from 341 of the participants. Normal curve equivalent scores of total mathematics achievement, problem solving, and mathematics procedures were compared among groups of children with no or up …
Building Peer Independence Among Children, Sienna D. Kuhn
Building Peer Independence Among Children, Sienna D. Kuhn
Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers
The research was conducted to determine if grace and courtesy lessons could increase the peer to peer reliance in a new community of 12 children ranging in age from thirty-three months to four years old at a private Montessori school in a metropolitan area. It is rare to experience starting a new community and only having 12 children of the same relative age in a Montessori school. The study was conducted with grace and courtesy lessons, given an average of three times a week, on how to ask other peers for help and how to offer help to others. Data …
The Effect Of Technology On Student Achievement With English Language Learners In An Early Childhood Classroom Setting, Tiffany Vasquez-Dewein
The Effect Of Technology On Student Achievement With English Language Learners In An Early Childhood Classroom Setting, Tiffany Vasquez-Dewein
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
The purpose of this action research project was to determine if there was a correlation between the use of iPads to improve student achievement and traditional methods of teaching with four and five-year-old English language learners (ELLs). Two control groups of four ELLs were taught in math three times a week. Control group A was taught using iPad applications to support math teaching in alongside traditional teachings in math. Control group B were taught with age appropriate early childhood materials such as counting cards and manipulatives to support the traditional teachings in math. Data was collected at the end of …
The Use Of Visual Schedules, Amber Connelly
The Use Of Visual Schedules, Amber Connelly
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
This paper explores the use of visual schedules to support students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with transitions throughout the school day. Students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder have a tough time interpreting verbal directions throughout the school day; therefore, there is an increase in student behaviors during transitions (Dettmer, Simpson, Brenda, & Ganz, 2000). The students utilized in this study are preschool aged students, which means they are between the ages of three to five. All students are in an integrated preschool classroom. The researcher implemented and created individualized visual schedules for each student in this paper. The researcher …
Preschool Social Emotional Learning And Curriculum Design: The Changing System, Amy J. Clark
Preschool Social Emotional Learning And Curriculum Design: The Changing System, Amy J. Clark
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
As early as the seventeenth century, theorists began to recognize early childhood as a distinct time of life. Prodigious research from the past forty years describes the positive educational outcomes for students attending quality early childhood programs. This literature review will examine the history of early childhood education and important themes that have emerged over time. The theme of social emotional learning will be a focus as one of the key outcomes of early learning programs and a determinant of later school success. In addition, the effects of poverty on the developing child, along with ways to mitigate these effects …
Storytelling And Emotional Response To Conflict, Angela K. Boris
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 …
Grace And Courtesy In Living With Conflict In The Montessori Children’S House, Katie J. Gregoire
Grace And Courtesy In Living With Conflict In The Montessori Children’S House, Katie J. Gregoire
Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers
The purpose of this research was to determine in what ways increased role-play lessons of grace and courtesy affected conflict resolution in an early childhood classroom. This research study was conducted at a private Montessori school in a midwestern metropolitan area. The sixweek study was completed in a classroom with 29 children, ranging in age from thirty-three months to six years old. During the study, data was collected on the number of conflicts and grace and courtesy lessons. Data was also collected on levels of cooperation and use of respectful language among children, as observed and reflected on, by the …
Brain-Based Learning And Whole Brain Teaching Methods, Aleen S. Wolken
Brain-Based Learning And Whole Brain Teaching Methods, Aleen S. Wolken
Master's Theses & Capstone Projects
Whole Brain Teaching is a teaching strategy that combines cooperative learning and direct instruction. It is a strategy that has been implemented within many K-12 classrooms throughout the nation. In this article, the researcher defines Whole Brain Teaching, describes its impact on student learning, and highlights conflicts and myths. The researcher also presents ideas on future research. The purpose of this literature review was to find information regarding implementation of Whole Brain Teaching in an inclusive early childhood classroom.
An Examination Of Kindergarten Readiness Perceptions From Prekindergarten Teachers, Kindergarten Teachers, And Parents: A Quantitative Study Of Kindergarten Readiness Perceptions, Angela Cross
Education Dissertations and Projects
This study examined the perceptions of kindergarten readiness for kindergarten teachers, public prekindergarten teachers in both public and private settings, and parents. Data were collected and analyzed through a quantitative method using an inferential approach. A Likert-style survey was distributed to current kindergarten teachers, prekindergarten teachers, and parents; and the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The data collected from the surveys indicated differences in kindergarten readiness perceptions in the areas of social/emotional skills, literacy skills, and communication between kindergarten parents and teachers and between public and private prekindergarten participants. There were also differences in …
Effectiveness Of Large-Scale, State-Sponsored Language And Literacy Professional Development On Early Childhood Educator Outcomes, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice, Ann A. O'Connell, Susan A. Mauck, Melissa M. Weber-Mayrer, Rachel E. Schachter, Kristin S. Farley, Caitlin F. Spear
Effectiveness Of Large-Scale, State-Sponsored Language And Literacy Professional Development On Early Childhood Educator Outcomes, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice, Ann A. O'Connell, Susan A. Mauck, Melissa M. Weber-Mayrer, Rachel E. Schachter, Kristin S. Farley, Caitlin F. Spear
Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications
The current study investigated the effectiveness of large-scale, state-sponsored language and literacy professional development (PD) intended to improve early childhood educators’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices. PD was offered in a real-world context and delivered at scale across the state, implemented by an independent contractor. Educators (n = 535) were randomly assigned to participate in one of three types of PD: 30 hrs of language and literacy PD presented in a workshop format, 30 hrs of language and literacy PD plus monthly coaching, or PD on alternative topics (comparison). Baseline and outcome measures were collected by an independent research team to …