Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Early Childhood Education And Care Provision Through The Medium Of The Irish Language, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Mairéad Mac Con Iomaire

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter will give an overview of the history of naíonraí or Irish-medium preschool settings in Gaeltacht1 and non-Gaeltacht areas from their beginnings in the 1960s to date. The material for this chapter is based on desk research, interviews with the founding member of the naíonra movement and the personal involvement of the chapter authors. The rationale for establishing naíonraí will be described and the role of the pioneers who led the movement in the 1970s and 1980s will be analysed in light of their principles and philosophy. These principles are visible in the structures they set up to manage …

Acquiring English Then Reacquiring Indonesian: A Study Of Family Language Policy, Aris Bahari Rizki, Muchamad Sholakhuddin Al Fajri

The Qualitative Report

This study investigates how family language policies are shaped and developed in five Indonesian scholars’ families who live in England. More specifically, it analyses parents’ attitudes towards children’s bilingualism and second language development focusing on the investigation of factors that can influence parental language ideologies and the patterns of language practices within the families. Data were obtained from participant observations, fieldnotes, and semi-structured interviews. All the data were then analysed using inductive analysis approaches proposed by Cohen et al. (2011) and Thomas (2006) which include reading the transcripts several times, identifying the texts related to the purpose of the study, …

Spanish Vocabulary Acquisition And Implementation: The Effect In A Mixed-Aged Montessori Primary Classroom, Nadhira Hathotuwegama

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project studied the effects of introducing Spanish vocabulary words to a mixed-ages Montessori primary classroom on Spanish vocabulary acquisition and implementation. Spanish vocabulary words were presented in group lessons in half-hour intervals twice a week for four weeks using flashcards. There were three sets of cards –color, fruit, and grace and courtesy. Lessons were given in the Montessori three-period lesson format. Data collection tools provided data that supported successful results with a steady increase in Spanish vocabulary acquisition and implementation. At the conclusion of the study, future research could explore the use of real objects, using extensions …

Creating A Culturally Competent Children’S Library, Rachel Burger, Donia Timby, Jacquelyn D. Wiersma-Mosley, Laura Herold, Shelley Mcnally

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

There is an ever-growing need for cultural competence and a well-rounded education, especially for children. In order to promote cultural competence, this creative project focused on enhancing a library space at the University of Arkansas Bumpers College Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas with resources that address diversity and cultural competence. The goal was to transform the library into an enticing, relaxing, and judgment-free area where children feel comfortable to explore their culture and the cultures of others. New books added to the library were thoroughly reviewed and chosen for the purpose of promoting cultural competence and inclusion, …

Toward A Culturally Inclusive Canon Of Multimodal Picture Books: Developing Multiliteracies Practices And Assessments For Ontario’S Classrooms, Arwa Jammali

Major Papers

Multimodal picture books are a critical component of children’s literacy development, and in a multicultural province such as Ontario, it is vital that literacy development include cultural literacy. The demographics of the province’s classrooms are increasingly diverse; however, minoritized cultures are underrepresented among teachers, and there are sparse training mandates related to cultural inclusion. Thus, Ontario’s culturally diverse student body is encountering a number of barriers related to gender, ethnicity, perceived race, sexual identity, ability, class, and other social markers. To provide teachers with the tools needed to support their students, the current study utilizes a theoretical framework derived from …

Building Partnerships With E2l Families In Multicultural Classrooms, Ashley Nanlall

Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership (HBECL) Capstone Research Posters

This research revolved around investigating educators’ perspectives on communication and relationship building between themselves and English as second language families. This qualitative study followed a narrative research design, incorporating semi-structured interviews, to uncover educators’ opinions and experiences of their interactions and communication with these families, and to report on the challenges and difficulties that were present. The participants of this study consisted of 5, currently employed, Registered Early Childhood Educators across Ontario. Data analysis revealed 4 prominent themes in relation to educators’ perspectives: factors impacting professional practice; how feelings and personal reflections influence professional outlook; respect for inclusion and cultural …

Navigating Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: The Jumpstart Hartford Model, Mabel Silva

Senior Theses and Projects

Culturally responsive pedagogy attempts to dismantle the racist structures that uphold the educational system. It acknowledges that the experiences, cultures, and traditions of marginalized communities are often missing from schooling, and tries to incorporate them by altering curriculum and day-to-day classroom practices (Ladson-Billings, 1995). However, little research has examined whether and how teachers of color utilize culturally relevant pedagogy. Jumpstart is a national program that seeks to equalize educational opportunity in pre-kindergarten by providing language and literacy services as well as social and emotional development (Jumpstart, 2019). I, therefore, posited the following research questions: How does Jumpstart Hartford utilize culturally …

Troubling ‘Race’ And Discourses Of Difference And Identity In Early Childhood Education In South Africa, Jaclyn Murray

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This article emerges from a broader ethnographic study exploring how young children aged five and six years, and their educators, construct ‘race’ identities in a culturally diverse early childhood education setting in post-apartheid South Africa. Historically, systems of educational inequality and injustice have had a profound impact on how subjects have come to be ‘raced’ in the South African context. Drawing on a poststructural framework that problematizes the notion of identity, ‘race’, and young children’s discursive understandings of ‘race’, this article traces the complex ways in which young children and educators (re)construct, negotiate, resist and subvert subject formation processes in …

Rethinking “Parent Involvement”: Perspectives Of Immigrant And Refugee Parents, Zeynep Isik-Ercan

Occasional Paper Series

I arrived in the U.S. 15 years ago as a master’s student in early childhood education after teaching in elementary schools in Turkey. Becoming a permanent resident in my new country and parenting my two Turkish-American boys fueled my scholarly interest in the experiences of immigrant communities with their children’s early school years, specifically the ways they negotiate cultural and linguistic identities in educational settings. Among many encounters with my children’s teachers, one is particularly memorable.

Shortly after Enis, my older son, began attending the campus preschool at age two, his teacher asked me to speak only English at home …

A Playful Context Enhances Bilingual And Monolingual Preschoolers’ Mastery Motivation And Private Speech, Jeremy Sawyer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Children’s private speech (audible self-talk) has been studied primarily as a cognitive tool for thinking, planning and self-regulation. This study investigated whether private speech may also function as a tool for motivation. Vygotskian and self-determination theory suggest that children can develop to become agentic and inspired, or conversely disengaged and alienated, based largely on their social conditions of development. Thus, it is important to investigate children’s motivational processes in social and educational contexts that are central to child development. U.S. preschool enrollment is expanding, accompanied by a decline in play-based pedagogy and growth of didactic, teacher-centered approaches. To illuminate the …

Facing Diversity In Early Childhood Education: Teachers’ Perceptions, Beliefs, And Teaching Practices Of Anti-Bias Education In Korea, Yerim Hong

MSU Graduate Theses

The changing composition of early childhood classrooms challenges teachers to be more responsive to the diverse needs of all children. This study explores the challenges and successes early childhood teachers experience with facing diversity in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ perceptions, beliefs, and teaching practices concerning anti-bias education in Seoul, South Korea. There were two groups of in-service kindergarten teachers, four teachers in each group, who participated in one-on-one interviews with structured and open-ended questions. The teachers in one group had more experience with teaching in diverse classroom settings than the …

Creating A Curriculum For Preschool Educators In Asia: How To Teach Kindergarteners Speaking And Listening Skills In English Through Games, Yue Kuang

Master's Projects and Capstones

There is a rapid development of science and technology, and international information exchanges have become increasingly frequent as well in 21^st century. English learning is becoming a requirement of career success, especially in Asia (Graddol, 2006). So people are beginning to pay more attention to English education, especially early childhood English education. However, most Asian kindergarten teachers prefer to pay more attention to teaching English reading and writing skills, while ignoring the teaching and practices of English listening and speaking (Wang, 2016). Most 3-6 age children do not have the attention span of adults (Garba, Yusuf, & Busthami, 2015), …

Pleanail Curaclam Agus Teanga Sa Naionra, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Jacqui De Siun

Books/Book chapters

Is gá don bhainisteoir cur chuige oiriúnach a aimsiú agus tabhairt faoi go tuisceanach eolasach chun bunaidhmeanna an naíonra, is iad sin forbairt iomlán an linbh agus sealbhú na Gaeilge, a bhaint amach. Is dlúthchuid den chur chuige sin an phleanáil teanga. Éireoidh níos fearr le sealbhú na Gaeilge má bhíonn sé pleanáilte roimh ré, ar bhonn atá céimithe ach atá scaoilte ag an am céanna. Beidh an stiúrthóir in ann an phleanáil a bhunú ar an aithne atá aici ar na páistí agus ar a gcuid spéiseanna, ar a cuid eolas ar na réimsí gníomhaíochtaí atá oiriúnach do pháistí …

Ag Aistriú Ón Naíonra Chun Na Gaelscoile: Beartas Oideachais Teanga, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Fiona Nic Fhionnlaoich

Conference papers

Díreofar sa pháipéar seo ar na bunchoincheapanna a bhaineann le haistriú ó shuíomh luath-óige go dtí an bhunscoil agus ar tionscnamh, “An Traein: Ag Aistriú ón Naíonra go dtí an Ghaelscoil”. Tabharfar breac-chuntas ar an méid a foghlaimíodh ón tionscnamh. Léireofar roinnt de na rudaí a d'aithin na rannpháirtithe mar shampla an tábhacht a bhaineann le cumarsáid agus aistriú eolais i dtaobh na bpáistí féin (le cead na dtuismitheoirí/caomhnóirí) agus i dtaobh an tsaghais Gaeilge a bhí á sealbhú ag na páistí. An méid a foghlaimíodh ón taighde seo agus na himpleachtaí a bhaineann léi, cuirfear sin i gcomparáid …

The First Child In A Chinese Family Who Could Read Prior To Entry Into Elementary School: A Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study, Shu Ping Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an account of the literacy-related human environment a Chinese girl experienced as the first person in the history of her family who was able to read prior to entry into elementary school. Temporally speaking, the study spanned more than a decade from the initial, tentative research question to the formal, primary research question. Spatially speaking, it crossed three cultures: the Chinese, Korean, and American cultures. The study was inspired by the Zero Project in China, known as the "Project of Quality Education and Implementation for Children Aged Zero (fetus) to Six." The significance of the content issue …

¿CóMo Se Dice En EspañOl? : Language, Self-Expression, And Development Of A Young Bilingual Child, Margaret Blachly

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper addresses three areas of early childhood development and education: a Language development of a native Spanish-speaking child in a dual-language school environment. Guided art experiences as a vehicle for self-expression, language development, and personal self-awareness in a young child. The role of a non-teacher/non-family member in a young child's development of self-awareness and language. The paper presents a case study with related research, analysis, and suggestions for educators. Lauren Rodriguez (pseudonym), currently 7.8 years old, is a Mexican- American girl whose first language is Spanish. She first encountered English at her bilingual preschool, where she began attending school …