Early Childhood Education Commons^™

The Use Of Touchscreen Devices To Support Writing Development Of Preschoolers, Celeste Mortvedt

Graduate Research Papers

This review examines the use of touchscreen devices to support writing development of preschool children. Examination of the impact of touchscreen device writing on brain development of preschoolers is also included. Benefits and challenges of using touchscreen devices to support handwriting development are analyzed and reviewed along with recommendations for classroom implementation, future research, and educational policy.

Mexican-Origin Youth's Risk Behavior From Adolescence To Young Adulthood: The Role Of Familism Values, Lorey A. Wheeler, Katharine H. Zeiders, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Sue A. Rodriguez De Jesus, Norma J. Perez-Brena

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally-relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and familism values in 492 youth from 12 to 22 years of age. Participants were older and younger siblings from 246 Mexican-origin families who reported on their risk behaviors in interviews spaced over eight years. Multilevel cohort-sequential growth models …

Service Animals In Elementary Classrooms: Examining Educator And Family Perspectives Of A Working Service Animal In An Elementary Classroom, Jenna Falldorf

The University Honors Program

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990 by President Bush. Although the ADA includes laws about public access rights for people with disabilities and their service animals, many schools are reluctant to have service animals (that are partnered with children with disabilities) included in early childhood classrooms. Teachers that have had experience with working animals in their elementary classrooms have reported many benefits, not only for the student with a disability, but for the other students in the classroom as well. Research on dogs in classrooms has shown potential social, behavioral, and academic improvements in …

Understanding The Expressive Cartoon Drawings Of A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michael S. Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the highly expressive comic drawings of Amy, a child with autism. This study connects larger fields of research: the study of how people with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] process faces and emotions; and, research about artists with ASD. Amy's understanding of emotion was analyzed by asking her to view and identify humans and cartoon characters expressing different emotions. Her ability to illustrate emotion is tested by asking her to respond to various drawing prompts. The study concluded that Amy has difficulty identifying the emotions of humans and cartoons, but she does have the ability to illustrate …

การพัฒนากระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีตามแนวคิดเครื่องมือทางปัญญาและการเรียนรู้โดยใช้สมองเป็นฐานเพื่อเสริมสร้างเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ของเด็กอนุบาล, ดุษฎี อุปการ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ 1) เพื่อพัฒนากระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีตามแนวคิดเครื่องมือทางปัญญาและการเรียนรู้โดยใช้สมองเป็นฐานเพื่อเสริมสร้างเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ของเด็กอนุบาล และ 2) เพื่อศึกษาผลของการใช้กระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ การดำเนินการวิจัยแบ่งออกเป็น 3 ระยะ ได้แก่ 1) การพัฒนากระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ 2) การนำร่องกระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ และ 3) การศึกษาผลของการใช้กระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ เด็กอนุบาลชั้นปีที่ 2 โรงเรียนบ้านน้ำพี้มิตรภาพที่ 214 จังหวัดอุตรดิตถ์ จำนวน 35 คน แบ่งเป็นกลุ่มทดลอง จำนวน 18 คน และกลุ่มควบคุม จำนวน 17 คน ระยะเวลาในการดำเนินการวิจัย 16 เดือน เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการวิจัย ได้แก่ 1) แบบประเมินหัวใจและดอกไม้ 2) แบบประเมินเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ มีค่าความเที่ยงเท่ากับ 0.96 และ 3) แบบบันทึกการสังเกตพฤติกรรมที่สะท้อนเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยการหาค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน การทดสอบค่าที การวิเคราะห์ความแปรปรวนร่วม และขนาดอิทธิพล ผลการวิจัยสรุปได้ดังนี้ 1. กระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีตามแนวคิดเครื่องมือทางปัญญาและการเรียนรู้โดยใช้สมองเป็นฐานเพื่อเสริมสร้างเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ของเด็กอนุบาล ประกอบด้วย 6 องค์ประกอบ ได้แก่ แนวคิดพื้นฐาน หลักการ วัตถุประสงค์ เนื้อหา กระบวนการเรียนการสอน และการประเมิน โดยมีหลักการ 5 ประการ ได้แก่ 1) พัฒนาการและการเรียนรู้เกิดขึ้นในบริบทของการอยู่ร่วมกันในสังคม 2) อารมณ์และความสนใจจากภายในที่มีความหมายต่อตัวเด็กส่งผลต่อการเรียนรู้ 3) การเรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับการทำงานของอวัยวะต่าง ๆ ในร่างกายและการทำงานของสมองผ่านการลงมือปฏิบัติเกิดเป็นพัฒนาการ 4) กระบวนการเรียนรู้เกิดขึ้นโดยความสนใจจากภายใน มุ่งจุดสนใจ รับรู้ ลงมือปฏิบัติ จดจำ แล้วนำมาจัดระบบสร้างรูปแบบของตนเอง และ 5) ภาษาเป็นเครื่องมือในการเปลี่ยนประสบการณ์ภายนอกสู่ความเข้าใจที่เกิดขึ้นภายใน ซึ่งกระบวนการเรียนการสอนมี 4 ขั้นตอน ได้แก่ 1) ขั้นกระตุ้นสมอง 2) ขั้นหยุดคิดก่อนเล่น 3) ขั้นเล่นร่วมกัน และ …

The Effects Of Adapted Physical Education On Students With Down Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis, Christopher Ij Bolt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from physical activity interventions on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Design: The present study employed a quantitative research synthesis design. The overall conclusions of past research highlight important issues related to physical activity interventions performed on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Methods: Standard meta-analytic procedures incorporating inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature search, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize 24 studies with 258 independent samples. Cohen’s (1988) criteria for effect sizes were used to interpret and evaluate results.

Results: The average treatment effect for …

A Case For Theatre-Based Programming In Early-Childhood And Elementary Education, Tina M. La Plant

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper seeks to answer the question, How can I use my professional experience developing a theatre-based curriculum for early-childhood and elementary students as a platform to advocate for the importance of theatre-based curricula in early and elementary education? The subject of this research project is a Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade theatre-based education program founded by the author. The program was developed over the past 20 years at the Bertschi School, an independent PK-Fifth elementary school located in Seattle, Washington. For the purposes of this paper, the program itself will serve as a proving ground to explore and define primary …

The Home Environment And Parenting Practices: Associations With Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In Preschool-Age Children, Emily C. Huber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preschool-age children have the potential to be influenced by their physical home environment and their parents’ physical activity (PA) practices more than older children as preschool-age children are more reliant on parents for PA opportunities. Previous research with this focus has relied predominantly on various subjective assessments of child activity, often resulting in overestimation of PA and underestimation of sedentary time (ST). Collectively, this dissertation project explored the associations among home environment factors, parent PA practices, parent satisfaction of children’s body size and children’s PA and ST by utilizing objective measures of activity and the full range of PA intensities …

Impact Of Family Engagement On Child Outcomes In Preschool, Kathryn S. Ingham

Graduate Research Papers

This review considered the impact of family engagement on child outcomes in preschool and what variables impact the success of family engagement in preschool. Many child outcomes are affected by family engagement. This particular work focuses on child outcomes related to literacy and approaches to learning. The variables of the family engagement examined include demographics, culture, family unit, and socioeconomic status. Many forms and degrees of family engagement are described with the degree of success for family engagement determined by the actual participants. Findings of the review point towards family engagement promoting positive outcomes for children enrolled in preschool despite …

Building Strong Partnerships For Preparation, Bank Street College Of Education

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

When strong partnerships are established, districts and preparation providers make changes to the way they work and and the way they work together. The result is a system transformation through the kinds of shifts illustrated below. These partnerships enable IHEs and districts to bring existing resources to bear on work in new, mutually beneficial ways.

Cost Savings Through Reduced Turnover, Bank Street College Of Education

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Residency-trained teachers stay in the classroom longer, reducing district spending on recruitment, training, and on-boarding.

Mom, Dad, Help Please: The Home Environment’S Influences On A Child’S Math Ability, Nicole Kerkhof

CMC Senior Theses

Recently, there has been a big surge of research and public interest in increasing the math capabilities and skills of American children. This paper serves as a literature review examining how the home environment, specifically parents, can help with that. This meta-analysis delves into the factors of maternal math talk, a parent’s own math anxiety, and the relationship between a parent and child in the context of a parent’s gender stereotypes and a parent’s perception on his or her child’s math abilities. Interventions, suggestions, and future implications are also discussed. This paper will hopefully bring needed awareness to parents about …

Invented Spelling And Its Effect On Kindergarten Students' Reading And Writing Abilities, Kelli A. Daly

Graduate Research Papers

This review investigated the effects of invented spelling on kindergarten students and how it can affect their phonemic awareness, as well as how it can affect his or her reading and spelling in kindergarten. In addition, this review compared different writing instruction techniques and how they differ and impact a child's writing and spelling in kindergarten. Several articles compare the use and acceptance of invented spelling in comparison to conventional spelling. Findings from the review propose that invented spelling is a beneficial technique to helping young children learn to read and write and has a positive influence on their reading …

Technology And Student Achievement In Stem Subjects: Perspectives From Teachers In Grades 3rd-5th, Kayleigh D. Hunter

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to research teachers’ perspectives of their role and responsibilities of integrating technology in the classroom and the influence of technology on student achievement. The participants involved in the qualitative research process included seven in-service professional public school teachers. The thirty minute to an hour interviews were piloted using researcher created interview question constructed from previous research on teachers’ perceptions of technology. The questions used were created to specifically answer the researcher’s topic of study; some questions are regarding whether teachers believe success is technology driven and what benefits they think technology brings. The teachers …

Incorporating Istation Into Early Childhood Classrooms To Improve Reading Comprehension, Tian Luo, Guang-Lea Lee, Cynthia Molina

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose: IStation is an adaptive computer-based reading program that adapts to the learner's academic needs. This study investigates if the Istation computer-based reading program promotes reading improvement scores as shown on the STAR Reading test and the IStation test scaled scores for elementary school thirdgrade learners on different reading levels.

Background: Prior literature provided a limited evidence base for incorporating computer-adaptive learning technologies to improve reading comprehension in the context of early childhood education.

Methodology: Using a mixed-method case study research approach, this study purports to investigate the effects of IStation and examine the perspectives of teachers and students. Supported …

Kids In Transition To School (Kits), Beth L. Green, Lorelei Mitchell, Lindsey Brianna Patterson

Early Childhood

During the summer and fall of 2016, children and families in 16 schools in Lane County participated in the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program. KITS includes 16 weeks of group-based child classes and 12 weeks of parenting workshops, using an evidence-based curriculum designed to improve school readiness skills and parenting. To learn more about the KITS program from the perspective of participating families, four focus groups were held with parents who participated in KITS. A total of 44 parents participated in the groups, which were located in four different schools (two small, rural locations and two larger more …

Assessing Written Narratives: Current Versus Theoretical Practices, Megan Chamberlin, Michelle Tatko, Marissa Mcelligott, Savannah Lovitt

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Language sample analysis (LSA) provides a non-standardized, culturally sensitive method of language assessment and is considered a best practice by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). One type of LSA is the elicitation and analysis of children’s written narratives. Narratives, one type of language discourse, either fictional or personal, can be thought of as stories.

Across the literature, there are differences in the types and clinical implications of the individual types of discourse and narratives. For example, eliciting conversational discourse for LSA is less demanding for the student than eliciting narrative discourse. Additionally, research shows that students with a …

A Grounded Theory Study Of Maternal Engagement Of Low Income, Young Rural Mothers In Home-Based, Early Intervention Services, Elaine K. Fehringer

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Home-based, early intervention programs as a preferred delivery model are widely endorsed, heavily funded and highly utilized as prevention and remediation initiatives for families with young children (Eckenrode, et al., 2010; Karoly, Killion, & Cannon, 2005). Of concern, is that while an estimated 40 billion dollars are spent annually between federally funded programs and private foundations, a significant number of families disengage from services before the end of a child’s eligibility period (Stevens, Ammerman, Putnam, Gannon, & van Ginkel, 2005). Several meta-analyses indicate only modest effectiveness of home-based services (Tandon, et al., 2008). It is estimated that well over 500,000 …

Finding The Link Between Social Connectivity And Dietary Intake Among Rural Adolescents In North Carolina And Kentucky, Jordan Elizabeth Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Social networks play a significant role in adolescent decision making, specifically when it comes to dietary outcomes. This study, granted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), assessed the connectivity of these social networks and the impact they have on fruit and vegetable, added sugar and sugar sweetened beverage consumption. Additionally, the relationship between shopping companionship and dietary choices was studied. Positive and negative associations were found among adolescents who shop with parents or friends. It was also found that those adolescents with greater social network cohesion were found to have more negative dietary outcomes. Divulging further into the …

Limiting Food Waste In Child Care Facilities Through Implementation Of Portion Sizes, Margaret E. Wright, Kelly A. Way

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

Food waste in child care facilities is both a monetary waste and a danger to the environment. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of portion control in a child care facility on the amount of food wasted and the costs associated with food waste. It was hypothesized that establishment of portion control will result in a reduction in the amount of food waste of lunches and afternoon snacks generated by preschool children attending the University of Arkansas Bumpers College Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center (JTCDSC). A four-week study was conducted where two trials were introduced: …