Early Childhood Education Commons^™

I'M Going To Make A Friend (2025) By Darren Chetty, Peter Shea

Picture Books

Philosopher Darren Chetty’s first picture book playfully explores a sort of language-accident: we say we make drawings and machines–and also that we make friends. Chetty shows us a child who tries to construct a robot-friend. As the child thinks about the elements that go into a friendship, we’re reminded of the contradictory desires of childhood companionship: for space and comfort, adventure and familiarity, a private connection and an opening to the wider world. What would one put into an artificial companion? The problem is as old as Pinocchio and Pygmalion. As the construction proceeds, the other kind of “making friends” …

One Day This Tree Will Fall (2024) By Leslie Barnard Booth, Maughn Gregory

Picture Books

Can a tree live a life worth living? This picture book makes the case that trees have lives that are at once intriguingly similar to human lives and just as intriguingly – and importantly – different. It nudges us to consider the meaning of our own lives and our place and our role in the natural world. But trees are quite mysterious. The more we learn about them, the more fantastical they seem – these ordinary inhabitants of every human city and village. This book invites young people and older people to think more about trees; but there is just …

Grand Mosque Of Paris (2009) By Karen Gray Ruelle & Deborah Durland Desaix & Safiyyah’ S War (2023) By Hiba Noor Khan, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

Suppose that somebody takes over your city and begins harming your friends and neighbors. How do you respond? When is it your responsibility to act, and what kinds of risks should you take? How do these new moral demands change your relations to your neighbors, people in authority, and even your family? How do you stay sane and resolved when your safety is under constant threat? Telling the story of how the Muslim community in Paris risked their lives to save hundreds of Jews when Germany invaded France in World War II, this middle-grades novel and picture book also tell …

Transforming Transitions Ii: Building Children's Engagement In Learning At School, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Boylan, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Building on the success of the Transforming Transitions project conducted with ten Western Australian Independent Schools (Barblett et al., 2023), this study extended the inquiry into school engagement and the transition process. The project was reimagined to deepen collaboration with schools, focusing on two key areas: first, fostering meaningful engagement with young learners and their families during the transition to school by drawing on their funds of knowledge; and second, centering the perspectives of children as active participants in their transition, acknowledging their experiences and the role of family-school engagement in shaping their sense of belonging.

Challenging Behaviour In The Early Years: Investigating Teacher Perceptions, Gillian Anne Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

An upward national trend in challenging behaviour amongst young children in Australian schools has prompted widespread concern and garnered frequent media scrutiny. Scholars have established that child-teacher relationships are central to understanding and mitigating challenging behaviour; however, exploration of teacher perceptions of children’s challenging behaviour in the early years has been limited. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating how early childhood teachers perceive and respond to young children’s challenging behaviour in Western Australia’s Kindergarten to Year 2 settings. The research was grounded in Attachment Theory and Ecological Systems Theory, highlighting the relational and environmental factors influencing teacher …

Transforming Transitions Ii: A Summary Report, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Boylan, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An abridged version of the report.

Building on the success of the Transforming Transitions project conducted with ten Western Australian Independent Schools (Barblett et al., 2023), this study extended the inquiry into school engagement and the transition process. The project was reimagined to deepen collaboration with schools, focusing on two key areas: first, fostering meaningful engagement with young learners and their families during the transition to school by drawing on their funds of knowledge; and second, centering the perspectives of children as active participants in their transition, acknowledging their experiences and the role of family-school engagement in shaping their sense …

Social Science In Early Childhood Education Open Syllabus, Denise Farrelly

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus provides a week-by-week outline of resources for teaching early childhood social studies for preservice teachers at the associate's level.

Addressing Economic Instability And Workforce Turnover In Early Childhood Education: The Role Of Stipends, Wage Supplements, And Professional Development, Lucinda J. Leffler

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Child care workers are vital to early childhood education, yet they face persistent economic instability, low wages, and high turnover rates. To address these challenges, states and policymakers have implemented stipends, wage supplements, and professional development programs aimed at improving financial security, job satisfaction, and workforce retention. This literature review examines the effectiveness of these initiatives across the United States, drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to contextualize their impact. Research indicates that financial incentives significantly reduce turnover, while professional development fosters job satisfaction and career advancement. However, sustainability concerns remain, particularly with …

Literature Review: Investing In Early Childhood Education Pays Dividends, R'Riuna Moore, Callie Poole, Heather L. Hanna

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Early childhood education (ECE) programs, which include publicly sponsored pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and private child care centers, are vital to child development, family stability, and economic success. Benefits of early childhood education (ECE) include better lifetime wages, higher tax revenues, and less dependence on public assistance programs. Research has repeatedly shown that ECE offers a substantial return on investment (ROI). Federal funding for early childhood education is still scarce despite current data. This review of the literature looks at the long-term social, economic, and employment effects of ECE investments in the US, emphasizing how they can boost economic growth, increase …

The Demand For Educational Functions Of Study Tour Products: From Students’ Perspectives, Yaqi Yu, Azizan Marzuki

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Few academic studies have comprehensively examined the actual demands of students regarding the educational function of study tours. This paper develops a demand index system based on three dimensions: cognitive, affective, and behavioral demands. A questionnaire survey was administered to 397 students. Initially, student demands were categorized using the Kano model. Subsequently, the “dependence” and “expectancy” characteristics were analyzed through the dissatisfaction index (DI) and satisfaction index (SI). The impact of fulfilling each demand on dissatisfaction and satisfaction levels was then determined. The results indicated that among the three dimensions, there were 7 must-be demands, 6 one-dimensional demands, 8 attractive …

Restorative Justice In Early Childhood Education: A Professional Development Model And Observational Study Of Classroom Implementation, Sarah Cummins

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This three-article dissertation explores the use of restorative justice (RJ) in educational settings, with a specific focus on early childhood programs. Restorative justice is a conflict resolution approach that prioritizes repairing harm, restoring trust, and empowering individuals to self-advocate rather than relying solely on punitive measures. While research has demonstrated the success of RJ in middle and high schools, and to some extent in elementary schools, limited attention has been given to its application in early childhood education. This dissertation examines the potential benefits of RJ in early childhood classrooms, including fostering social-emotional learning, student-led conflict resolution, and a positive …

Growing Together: Strategies For Attracting And Retaining Community-Reflective Early Learning Professionals, Tonya Jo Coker

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

The recruitment and retention of a diverse early learning workforce remains a critical challenge in special education. This study explores the multifaceted issues of workforce shortages, turnover rates, and the disparity between the demographics of educators and students in the Department of Early Learning within an education service district in Oregon. Through a detailed analysis of historical and current data, this study identifies systemic challenges contributing to the difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified staff, especially those who are representative of the communities they serve. Using improvement science as a methodological framework, the study tested change ideas focused on recruitment, …

Big Tracks, Little Tracks: Following Animal Prints (1999) By Millicent E. Selsam, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

Coming up with the most reasonable explanation of the available clues is something we all do on a daily basis. This book describes animal tracks as clues from which children can make inferences about what kind of animal left them and what they were doing when they did.

Aquariam (2018) By Cynthia Alonso, Samantha Piede

Picture Books

When the protagonist of Cynthia Alonso's Aquarium discovers a small, orange fish has splashed onto her neighborhood pier, she delightedly attempts to realize her dream of living amongst marine life. She decides to build a new home for it -- a human-sized aquarium -- in her living room. However, her earnestness is not enough to make this space a true home for the fish. Samantha Piede's Thinking in Stories review highlights several ethical and epistemological questions raised by this wordless narrative. What can we know of the needs and desires of species other than our own? What are the ethical …

I’M In Charge Of Celebrations (1986) By Byrd Baylor, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

The young woman speaking to us from this beautiful book shows us a way of honoring and celebrating singular experiences we have in the natural world, and how doing this could enrich the meaning of our lives. She describes them in a notebook, marks their dates, and gives them names. Think of this as what ancient Greek philosophers called a “spiritual exercise”— something we do to strengthen our ability to pay attention, to heighten our sense of the beauty and dignity of the natural world, and to better understand our place in it. Of course, moments worth celebrating can happen …

Depth Of The Lake And The Height Of The Sky (2017) By Kim Jihyun, Megan Jane Laverty

Picture Books

The Depth of the Lake and the Height of the Sky (2017) is KimJihyun’s first picture book; it is composed entirely of pictures. It “tells” the story of a young boy and his dog who spend a day swimming and sunbathing at a lake that is within walking distance from his grandparents' home, whom he is visiting with his parents. At first glance, the story might seem unremarkable, recounting an experience familiar to many. However, Kim’s illustrations challenge this assumption by drawing us into the boy’s encounter with nature. She creates a visual journey that guides us through a perceptual …

Amin's Harvest For Tomorrow Through Nine Compassionate Attributes:, Dua Nadeem, Bibi Haleema, Fazila Saleem, Komal Malik Shivji, Samina Iqbal, Seemi Batool

Institute for Educational Development Pakistan (IED-PK) Archives

At CfC, we believe that the future of our society depends on raising children who understand and practice compassion in all aspects of their lives. The book was created to help children connect with the concept of compassion and other core values, such as self-compassion, mindfulness, courage, gratitude, forgiveness, integrity, humility, altruism, and empathy. These values are essential not only for personal development but also for building stronger, more caring communities.
In the Sindh context, where communities face unique social, environmental, and climate related challenges, we wanted to provide children with a narrative that reflects the importance of collective action …

Understanding The Impact Of Foster Care On Child Development, Catherine Pleska

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to explore the developmental impact of the foster care system on children, focusing on how early trauma and systemic factors influence emotional, social, and cognitive development. Through a systematic literature review, the project will highlight the unique experiences foster children face, examining how early adversity shapes their long-term outcomes. The project will emphasize the importance of trauma-informed care in educational environments, advocating for strategies that create supportive and empathetic classrooms. The objectives include identifying key challenges for foster children and offering recommendations for teachers and school administrators to effectively engage students impacted by trauma. The study also …

The Solar Eclipse, Paige Mitchell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

On April 8, 2024, Akron, Ohio witnessed a total eclipse. Groups around the United States captured images using a telescope for the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) initiative. I was involved in this event at the University of Akron and documented everything I did in a journal. This includes the feelings I had and things I saw. Overall, this experience has gotten me to develop skills and activities that could be used with K-12 children.

An Examination Of Preservice Teacher Knowledge Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) In The Elementary Classroom, Breana K. E. Webb

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the knowledge of preservice teachers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how well prepared they might be when supporting students in elementary classrooms. ADHD is a diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in children and has been increasingly diagnosed over the past several years. Teachers play a crucial role in providing effective instruction to each and every student in the classroom. Managing classroom instruction with diverse learning capabilities and behaviors requires teachers to understand the characteristics of ADHD, as well as instructional adaptations and behavioral interventions, among preservice teachers. Findings indicate that while most preservice teachers recognize the basic …