Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Acquisition And Retention Of Vocabulary Using Simplified Picture Word Inductive Model, Kodie Davis

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was guided by the researcher’s interest in finding ways to use picture word inductive model (PWIM) to encourage more vocabulary retention in preschool. The research was conducted using two versions of a similar PWIM poster. Group A used a simplified PWIM poster with limited items on the poster while Group B was exposed to a typical PWIM poster with more items to identify. Both groups used the words they identified in their posters for the 4-week study. Participants were monitored weekly using assessments such as visual identification and word identification to check for retention. Research was done …

Improving Elementary Literacy Achievement By Aligning Individual And Team Goals, Katie Hilby

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Recent research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted literacy achievement. A school improvement plan was created to improve literacy achievement by leveraging the positive effects of individual and team goal-setting on student motivation and student achievement. Past studies have shown that growth and learning goals are more effective than performance goals and that a combination of distal and proximal goals lead to optimal performance. This school improvement plan uses the Leader in Me framework to set proximal and distal goals, aligning all individual student goals with the school’s team goal, to improve literacy achievement.

Implementing Universal Design For Learning In The Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom, Lydia Bruns

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine what makes implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) effective in the early childhood classroom. Participants were a class of sixteen preschoolers including five students with identified disabilities, one student with a possible disability, and five students who are Dual Language Learners. Qualitative data was collected twice a week to mark and observe strategies being used during large group and small group instruction times. Notes were collected within qualitative data to note how each strategy was implemented and compared with lesson plans. An emergent themes analysis was done on all …

Child Development Homes, Play-Based Learning, And Academic And Social-Emotional Skills, Hollie Fairholm

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study was based on my own need to discern if children who attend child development homes, also known as family childcare homes, are effective spaces for children to learn academic and social-emotional skills using play-based learning. In this action research child development home, family childcare and play-based learning were defined, with a review of how children learn. My study was conducted in my own child development home family childcare program with chilren ranging in age from 12 months to 4 years old. In total, nine children attend my program Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Parent And Family Engagement Programs On The Academic Success Of 4th Grade Students In Title I Elementary Schools, Farah Leila Henderson

Dissertations

Parent and family engagement has become an essential part of education reform for schools across the United States. There were over 50 years of research on the topic and its impact on student achievement. The purpose of my evaluation was to study how implementing specific parent and family engagement activities at Title I elementary schools affected the reading achievement of fourth-grade students. The context of this inquiry was a large urban public school district where Parent Engagement Liaisons (PEL) were placed in Title I schools to coordinate the district-directed Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) program. I used a mixed-methods design …

Guía Didáctica Para Talleres De Habilidades Fundamentales Y Creatividad En Albergues Para Niños, Niñas, Y Adolescentes En Tránsito, Lindsay Ravetz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto es una investigación-acción para abordar el problema de la falta de recursos educativos para los niños, niñas, y adolescentes (NNA) migrantes. El objetivo fue crear una guía didáctica de talleres para NNA migrantes en albergues, diseñada para ser dirigida por voluntarios. La guía está fundamentada en la investigación de las experiencias de los migrantes que pasan por México, las características de los NNA, y sensibilidad a los afectos del trauma psicológico en los NNA migrantes. La metodología del proyecto se lleva a cabo a través de la revisión de la literatura, observaciones en el albergue COMI, y entrevistas …

Pyramid Model Family Engagement Survey Results​ ​, George Tremblay, Pyramid Model Consortium

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The Pyramid Model State Leadership Team Data and Evaluation Workgroup developed a Family Engagement Survey to collect data that it hoped would inform the State’s and individual programs’ improvement efforts. In March 2024, the Family Engagement Survey was emailed to 40 NH child care programs on the Granite Steps for Quality Pyramid Model Pathway. These Program Directors were asked to share the survey with families.

Using An Interoception-Based Curriculum For Social-Emotional Learning In Preschool To Increase Emotional Regulation, Montana Applegate

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This paper presents a school improvement plan aimed at implementing and integrated interoception-based curriculum for social-emotional learning (SEL) in preschool classrooms, with the goal of fostering emotional regulation skills among young children. Drawing on recent research emphasizing the significance of SEL from early childhood through adolescence, this plan addresses the need for explicit teaching of emotional awareness and regulation in preschool settings. The proposed curriculum integrates interoception-based activities to enhance children’s ability to recognize and respond to internal bodily sensations and emotions. Through a review of relevant literature and personal classroom experience, this paper explores the foundations and practical implications …

Alphabet Instruction In A Preschool Setting: Individualized Or Large Group?, Kristen Guarino

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if individualized instruction is more effective than large group instruction during alphabet instruction. The researcher is a preschool teacher in their 11th year of teaching, who used their 21 students as participants. The study consisted of two separate groups of students. One group received individualized instruction (treatment) whereas the other group received large group instruction (control). Pre-test data was conducted before the two-week instruction period for both groups. For the treatment group, data was used to individualize and guide instruction. Post-test data was then collected to show the amount of …

Using Restorative Practices To Ensure Students Feel Seen, Heard, And Valued, Rylie Zyzda

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was driven by the researcher's interest in understanding students' emotions and feelings after engaging in restorative practices. The research included two first-grade male children and the action researcher, a first-grade teacher. The participants were expected to follow classroom rules during their special subject area. Special subject areas include art, music, computer lab, character education, P.E., and library. When challenging behaviors arose during these times, the researcher disciplined the participants using two different strategies: zero-tolerance and restorative practice. The participants immediately drew a picture related to their feelings following the discipline act. Findings revealed that children feel …

Play Having Its Place In Early Childhood Education, Emily Streicher

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review and school improvement plan focuses on the power of play for early childhood learners. Play is an innate characteristic in humans and various species alike. Despite the overwhelming evidence supporting play for children, academic demands and pressures felt by teachers and administrators are causing play in early childhood settings to be eliminated or reduced. Teachers, along with administrators, play a key part in this. Early childhood research suggests that teachers' beliefs indicate the likelihood of teachers' intentions to develop a child-centered curriculum and pedagogy that meet children's development and needs (Cheung et al., 2022). Ergo, this school …

The Impact Of Strategic, Skill-Focused Intervention On First Grade Students Identified As "At Risk" For Dyslexia: An Improvement Science Dissertation In Practice, Stephanie Clawson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this Implementation Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) was to improve student achievement through the use of short, easily implemented, targeted interventions, performed by the classroom teacher. The targeted interventions provided in this study were aligned to specific skill areas, identified by the aimswebPlus Early Literacy Benchmark (ELB), and were evidence-based intervention tools currently in use within the district. The interventions were designed to be delivered by teachers within their literacy instructional blocks, and were 5-15 minutes in length. Teachers were asked to collect data using an aimswebPlus probe every two weeks to track student progress. Teachers then …

Childcare Center Principals’ Decision-Making Regarding Participation In A Quality Assurance Program, Rosa M. Flores

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

A Delphi Study To Explore Successful Implementation Of The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme From A Principal's Perspective, Hilary Reynolds

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the essential elements needed to implement the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) standards and practices from the perspective of elementary school principals who have successfully implemented the programme.

Methodology: This research study examined the essential elements needed for elementary schools as they transition to an IB PYP. This study illustrated the framework for the implementation of the study. Additionally, a description of the population, target population, and the sample used for the study was explored. The instrumentation, data collection procedures, and description of data analysis were then explained. …

Perceptions Of School Leaders On Inclusion And Their Role In The Successful Development Of An Inclusion Program For Preschoolers With Disabilities, Cheryl A. Myrie

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is the administrative law that governs special education services and how students with disabilities should be educated. When students are found eligible for special education and related services, the law states that the general education classroom should be the first placement considered where students receive services. Research reveals that the state of New Jersey has traditionally been a state where students with disabilities are educated in separate classrooms and schools, and in 2021 the state was ranked the worst in the United States when it came to including students with disabilities in the general …

Infographic: An Average Working Day In Early Childhood, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

Australian research involving 321 educators who directly work with children in centre-based early childhood services involved completion of a time use diary over 10 working days. From the data, the research team created an ‘average working day’, which we share in today’s infographic.

"Success Is The Only Option", Sherene A. Carpenter Phd

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

"Success Is the Only Option". Reflective, Engaging, Imperative. Often times teachers place grades on report cards without analyzing or reflecting. Interesting conversations take place when teachers are presented with a chart displaying the number of As and Bs compared to the number Ds and Fs. What does a snapshot of your classroom, school, or district reveal about both student and teacher academic success? This presentation allows participants to identify resolutions to barriers, as well as receive tools that enhance student/teacher engagement - as Academic Success Is the Only Option.

Assessing The Reliability, Internal Consistency, And Sensitivity Of A Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire For Four-Year-Old Pre-K Children, Lin Wang, Karla Cortez, Brenda Rodriguez, Joseph Reyes, Moises Cisneros, Elizabeth Alanis, Zasha Romero, Lisa Michelle Belzer Salinas, Juan López Alvarenga, Roberto Treviño-Peña

Research Symposium

Introduction: Assessing nutrition knowledge in four-year-olds, a developmental stage marked by limited attention spans and varying comprehension abilities, is challenging with traditional methods. A reliable test is pivotal for establishing a foundation for future health interventions. We evaluated a 13-question nutrition and healthy habits test in Pre-K4 children to assess reliability and sensitivity to detect differences.

Methods: Calculations included Cronbach's alpha, kappa coefficient, McNemar analysis by item, and Bland-Altman plots for test-retest differences. Mixed model regression assessed the questionnaire's sensitivity by sex and association with age. Item response theory (IRT) models were employed, generating latent abilities for students and individual …

Training And Supporting Early Childhood Providers In Inclusive Settings, Kimberly K. Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood providers care for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and special needs in their programs and classrooms. This study addressed the problem that there is insufficient professional development (PD) training for early childhood providers working with infants and toddlers with special needs in inclusive settings. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand what training early childhood providers report they have had, and what training early childhood providers perceive that they need to support infants and toddlers with special needs in inclusive settings. Using the whole teacher approach as the conceptual framework, the research questions explored …

A Phenomenological Study On Preschool Educator Experience In Re-Imagining Play And Play-Based Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ronabeth Keh So

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores how play-based preschool educators experienced and re-imagined play and play-based learning throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six teachers and three administrators from three private Midwest play-based institutions. This study uncovers preschool educators’ experiences of engaging in play-based learning throughout the different phases of the pandemic and delves into the issues and challenges of online learning and the subsequent return to the classroom. Results show that despite pedagogical adjustments and limitations brought about by online learning modalities and pandemic related restrictions, the nature of play remains unchanged and continues to be vital to …