Soft Space/Strong Support, Keqian Li

Masters Theses

Children with early developmental challenges such as anxiety disorders, ADHD, autism, and sensory regulation difficulties often navigate environments that are not designed to support their emotional, cognitive, and sensory needs. In many educational and community spaces, inclusion is treated as an add-on or a specialized accommodation rather than as a fundamental design principle.

This thesis argues that inclusion should be the standard, not the exception, and that interior architecture can function as an early intervention tool that actively supports children’s development. This project examines how spatial design can influence emotional regulation and social interaction for children with early developmental challenges. …

Why Theory Matters In Infant And Toddler Practice: Unpacking Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, & Vygotsky, Derrick Toups

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article is intended to help infant and toddler educators deepen the why behind the what and how of their daily interactions by unpacking and connecting the seminal early childhood theories of Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, and Vygotsky, what they look like in the classroom, and why they benefit children.

Building Early Reading Foundations In Prekindergarten: Preparing Students For Kindergarten, Denise Rueter, Laura K. Simmons, Cynthia Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Preparing children for the transition to kindergarten literacy instruction requires intentional support of foundational early reading skills in prekindergarten classrooms. At the same time, early childhood educators must balance explicit instruction with developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) that emphasize play, exploration, and child-centered learning. This article describes instructional practices that support the development of emergent reading skills, particularly letter recognition and phoneme identification, within prekindergarten settings. Drawing on research in early literacy development, the article outlines a small-group instructional routine that includes shared storybook reading with print referencing, phonemic awareness activities, and multi-sensory, play-based practice opportunities. Examples of center-based activities that …

Building The Foundation For Stem In Toddler Classrooms: Practical Strategies For Novice Teachers, Melissa L. Johnson

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Young children are natural explorers, and even in the toddler years, they demonstrate the inquiry behaviors foundational to later science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. However, early STEM experiences are often underutilized in toddler classrooms, primarily due to misconceptions about children's capabilities and a lack of developmentally appropriate resources. This article, written for novice educators, offers practical strategies and examples to help integrate STEM into toddler classrooms. Drawing on current research, national standards, and classroom-based implementation strategies, this piece outlines how to create engaging environments that support toddlers' curiosity and emerging STEM thinking across science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Yoga And Young Children, Jayapriya Ranganathan, Cynthia F Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Abstract:

This article examines the role of yoga as an effective pedagogical tool to support social-emotional learning (SEL) and physical development in early childhood education settings. Grounded in current understandings of mindfulness and executive functioning, the integration of yoga practices—such as breathing exercises, meditation, and developmentally appropriate postures—can promote self-regulation, attention, and emotional resilience in young children. Drawing on classroom-based observations from a toddler program, the article outlines practical strategies for incorporating yoga into daily routines, emphasizing accessibility, consistency, and engagement through imaginative play and storytelling. The findings suggest that regular yoga practice fosters a calm, focused learning environment and …

Leading With Heart: How New Directors Can Build Trust And Morale Among Child Care Staff, Kamille Watson, Cynthia Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

For both new and seasoned directors, leading a new childcare center requires navigating the complex work of building staff trust and sustaining morale, particularly when teams have endured repeated leadership changes or existing internal concerns. Because early childhood programs rely heavily on relational, emotionally demanding work, effective leadership must be rooted in connection, transparency, and compassionate engagement. This article provides a practical framework to help novice directors cultivate strong, trust-based relationships that support both staff well-being and program quality. Drawing from current research on compassionate leadership, emotional intelligence, and organizational consistency, the article outlines actionable strategies for building rapport, fostering …

Childcare Center Administrators’ Challenges To Using Trauma-Informed Approaches With Children Experiencing Toxic Stress, Jessica Lynn Pierce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Building Capacity And Inspiring Change: The Impact Of Louisiana’S Ucedd Across The Lifespan, Alicia Kowitz, Constance Alphonse, Phil Wilson, Maria Blanco

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Human Development Center (HDC), as the state’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), serves as a catalyst for inclusive systems change through interdisciplinary training, community engagement, and evidence-based service delivery. This manuscript highlights the breadth and impact of HDC’s initiatives across early childhood, education, transition, and community inclusion. Through programs such as Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood, PAYCheck, and LEND, HDC builds capacity among professionals, empowers individuals with disabilities and their families, and strengthens systems to be more responsive and equitable. The stories and outcomes shared illustrate how intentional, collaborative efforts …

Through A Pedagogy Of Play: Kindergarten Teachers' Professional Identity, Self-Efficacy, And Well-Being, Jennifer L. Berube

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

This convergent parallel mixed methods study examined how kindergarten teachers who implement a play-based pedagogy describe its influence on their professional identity, self-efficacy, and well-being. Kindergarten represents a critical educational juncture where tensions between developmental practice and academic acceleration are most pronounced, yet existing research has not adequately examined how pedagogical approaches affect the teachers who implement them. While extensive research documents the benefits of play-based learning for children’s development, the experiences of the teachers who facilitate that learning remain largely unexamined. This study addressed that gap through three integrated frameworks: Self-Determination Theory, Seligman’s model of well-being encompassing positive …

Evaluating Computer-Based Instruction To Improve Teacher Competence In Function-Based Antecedent Strategy Implementation, Valentina Arias

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Teachers often manage challenging student behaviors without formal training in behavior analysis, which can increase stress and reduce instructional time. This study evaluated whether computer-based instruction (CBI) is an effective and cost-effective way to train early education teachers to understand why challenging behaviors occur and how to prevent them, using antecedent strategies. Ten general education teachers working in a private, neurodiverse-inclusive school participated. They completed a brief training delivered through computer modules developed in PowerPoint that taught them how to identify functions of behavior and select functionally equivalent antecedent strategies to decrease challenging behaviors. Learning was measured using pre/post tests …

A Description Of Zhao Zhang’S Nature No. 2 And Xiaoxuan Xu’S An Unusual Feast Of East, Sicheng He

Dissertations, 2020-current

This research presents a new path in the development of Chinese music by aiming to incorporate both modern Western and ancient Chinese influences in form, texture, tonality, topic, and other dimensions of style and structure. Two Chinese composers whose recent compositions for the piano share similar characteristics: Zhao Zhang (b. 1964; Nature no. 2, 2013) and Xiaoxuan Xu (b. 1990; An Unusual Feast of East, 2022). The research will discuss how Zhao Zhang and Xiaoxuan Xu accomplish this fusion of old and new in their recent piano works Nature no. 2, (2013) and An Unusual Feast of East, 2022. …

Choosing Play: A Quantitative Case Study On The Impact Of Play-Based Learning Compared To Direct Instruction In An Urban Kindergarten, Deborah Mary Arlauskas

Educational Studies Dissertations

Choosing Play: A Quantitative Case Study on the Impact of Play-Based Learning Compared to Direct Instruction in an Urban Kindergarten examines the academic and behavioral outcomes of kindergarten students in two urban public schools: one implementing a play-based instructional approach grounded in JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) practices, and the other using direct instruction. Rooted in Froebel’s original purpose for kindergarten to nurture the whole child through play, social connection, and interaction with nature, this study returns to the developmental intent behind the creation of kindergarten itself. Standardized literacy performance was measured using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) …

Solving Affordability Challenges In Education, Housing And Childcare, Brad J. Hershbein, Michelle Miller-Adams, Brian J. Asquith, Chloe R. Gibbs

Presentations

These three presentations emphasize that affordability challenges across education, housing, and childcare stem from structural market and policy frictions, and that effective solutions require coordinated public investment, simplified systems, and attention to both supply and demand. The first presentation argues that while college tuition growth has slowed and aid has increased, affordability challenges persist due to complexity, misperceptions, and uneven costs, and it advocates for simple tuition-free programs combined with investments in advising, streamlined pathways, and stronger school-to-work connections. The second presentation highlights a growing housing affordability crisis in the Rust Belt driven by aging housing stock and limited supply, …

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …

Phenomenological Variant Of Ecological Systems Theory (Pvest): Implications For Early Childhood Education, Kathryn L. Fletcher, Qunishia N. Carter

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The current article provides an introduction for researchers and educators in the field of early childhood education to Spencer’s Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems theory (Spencer’s PVEST; Spencer et al., 1997; Spencer, 2006). Spencer has expanded the importance of context with her position that children experience contexts differently, particularly children from marginalized groups (Spencer et al., 1997; Spencer, 2006). Two main goals for this article are: 1) introduce Spencer’s PVEST to the field of early childhood education; and 2) apply components of this theory to young children’s self-awareness. The overarching aim of this paper is to argue that Spencer’s PVEST …

Practical Applications Of Play Therapy Principles In Early Childhood Classrooms, Colleen D. Martinez, Beth A. Trammell

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Play in early childhood is a central tenet to everyday life for children and is thus of great importance to early childhood practitioners. However, the wide variety of definitions, policies, and practices related to play make implementing it effectively in the classroom nuanced. This article explores components of both child-led and adult-led practices—viewed through the lens of play therapy—to aid early childhood educators in applying these practices in the classroom. Case examples from the authors are included to further explore these topics in real-life situations.

Latent Transition Analysis: A Statistical Method For Identifying Underlying Subgroups Over Time, Holmes Finch

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Researchers working in early childhood research are often interested in assessing change over time in multiple variables. In addition, they may wish to ascertain whether there exist subgroups in the data with respect to these variables, and whether/how membership in these groups is related. Latent transition analysis (LTA) provides such researchers with a useful tool for investigating questions around such groups, including their composition, frequency, and the likelihood of moving from one to another at different points in time. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a full demonstrate of LTA and show how it can be used to …

Comparison Of Multidimensional Models For Extreme Response Styles, Holmes Finch, Brian French

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Self-administered scales are ubiquitous throughout the social sciences. Therefore, it is crucial that they properly reflect the measured latent trait(s), and are not influenced by other factors. One potential threat to validity is the response style favored by an individual completing the items. In particular, a tendency to engage in extreme responding (ERS) can result in a tendency to provide responses in the outer range of the response scale, independent of the actual level of the response to the item. The purposes of this study was to demonstrate how these models can be used to account for ERS in practice, …

A Tutorial For Identifying And Comparing Change Points In Developmental Trajectories, Holmes Finch

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Researchers in a variety of social science fields work with sequential data, such as measurements made over time. In some instances, one or more of the moments (e.g., mean, variance) of the series may change abruptly at some point in the sequence, yielding what is known as a change point. There is a broad literature describing methods for changepoint detection. Researchers working with multiple sequential series containing change points may be interested in comparing the locations of these changes. The purpose of this manuscript is to demonstrate how a researcher can detect changepoints and compare changepoints between two or more …

Using Multilevel Modeling To Understand Nested Data, Holmes Finch

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Researchers in the social sciences often work with nested data, in which individuals are collected in higher level clusters. For example, educational research often involves working with samples in which students are nested within schools. Standard data analyses, such as regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA), yield statistically biased results when this nested structure is ignored. One widely used and effective approach for handling such nested data is multilevel modeling. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the basics of multilevel modeling and to provide the reader with a fully worked example in which the analytic approach and results …