Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons^™

Reconstruction: Meltdown In The Midst Of Beauty, William A. Parnell

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Part of a special issue on early childhood education and phenomenology, this paper explores the author's growing self-awareness while obtaining his graduate degree. While completing his dissertation, he engaged in studio experiences, active listening, interviews, collaboration sessions and reconstructed his beliefs and attained formal education.

From Seed To Mighty Tree: Susan Blow And The Development Of The American Kindergarten Movement, Madelyn Silber

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

St. Louis is home to the first continuously running public kindergarten in the United States. In 1873, Susan Blow began teaching a small group of students at the Des Peres School using the methods of German educator Friedrich Froebel, “the father of the kindergarten.” Despite the rejection of Froebel’s ideas in Germany, Blow studied his pedagogy and implemented his curriculum into classrooms in America. Her first class was known as the kindergarten “experiment,” which would later become a standard in schools across the nation. Froebel’s kindergarten curriculum was unique because it was based on learning through play, an understanding of …

Pre-Kindergarten Education: Is There A Relationship Between Pre-Kindergarten Participation And Student Achievement?, Carol Goldate Barlow

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the intervention of attending public school pre-kindergarten had an impact on student achievement as measured by the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) considering gender, socioeconomic status, and grade retention. This research study included both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data included all 2009-2010 fourth-grade LEAP math and English language arts scaled scores collected from a specified public school district. To determine the impact of pre-kindergarten attendance on student achievement, the LEAP scores of students who attended public school pre-kindergarten were compared to LEAP scores of students in the same school district …

Children's Effortful Control In A Montessori Classroom: Effects Of Parenting And Purposeful Work, Judith Sarah Blahut

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research in effortful control is necessary to understand and support children's behaviors in Social and classroom settings (Rimm-Kaufman, Curby, Grimm, Brock, & Nathanson, 2009). This study reviewed literature discussing the relationship between parenting style and effortful control and Montessori philosophy as it relates to the work in practical life. The literature reviewed in this study suggested that parenting style may also be related to a child's effortful control. In addition, it was expected that the work of practical life in a Montessori classroom would positively influence effortful control in children. Using an experimental design, this study examined the efficacy of …

Colic In Infancy As An Indicator Of Subsequent Sensory Processing Development, Terri Anne Pohlenz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempted to find a link between infantile colic and subsequent sensory processing development. Literature research turned up very few studies linking colic with later development of sensory processing disorder. Ten hypotheses, based on literature research, linked colic in the first year with later indications of sensory processing disorder, whether formally diagnosed or anecdotally reported. None of the 10 hypotheses were proven.

Opportunities Preschool Teachers Use To Offer High Quality Instruction: Investigating Experiences Of Professional Development, Hannah B. Mudrick

Master's Theses

This study identified the professional development opportunities Connecticut pre-kindergarten teachers found helpful for improving their teaching and how this information was related to their personal characteristics and their level of high quality instruction and supports for early literacy. Participants were 16 female teachers from eight different centers across central and eastern Connecticut. High quality instruction and supports for early literacy were assessed observationally, and teachers’ ideas about professional development and their personal characteristics were assessed through semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that although teachers did mention multiple different professional development opportunities, discussion was overwhelmingly identified as the most helpful opportunity. …

The Development And Use Of Online Modules For Professional Development In Early Childhood Education, Angi Stone-Macdonald, Anne Douglass, Marylu Love, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The goals of this program is to examine the role of online training modules in professional development for early childhood educators, to understand the technological capacity of the early childhood workforce for using online professional development and to examine the challenges/barriers to the field in using online professional development and technology-mediated learning.

Should Value-Added Modeling Be Used To Identify Highly Effective Teachers? Counterpoint, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In the past two decades, the importance of the teacher’s contribution to student learning has been widely acknowledged. Some researchers have argued that the teacher is the most important factor in explaining differences in student achievement. In previous decades much of the educational research literature explored differences in student achievement based largely on student characteristics such as educational attainment of the parents, socio-economic status, race, and gender. It is only recently that teachers have been placed at the center of research and accountability related to student learning. To put it simply, it is widely said that “teachers matter,” and recent …

The Impact Of Preschool Education On Students' Kindergarten Readiness And Subsequent Kindergarten Performance, Kelsey Musselman Carroll

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of preschool education on students' kindergarten readiness and subsequent kindergarten performance in a low socioeconomic primary school. There are several factors that influence a child's readiness for school, including the children's natural talents and abilities, their families, their early environments, their schools, and their communities.

The setting for this research was a primary school located within a small, urban school district in the piedmont area of North Carolina. For the purpose of this study, all kindergarten students were placed into three subgroups: kindergarten students who attended the prekindergarten program at …

Don Duine Is Lú, Léitheoireacht Abú, Geraldine French

Reports

Tá sé mar aidhm ag Rannán Leabharlann Chomhairle Contae Fhine Gall feasacht a spreagadh maidir leis an tábhacht a bhaineann le luathlitearthacht agus conas is fearr luathlitearthacht a leasú i gcomhpháirtíocht le gníomhaireachtaí breisoideachais áitiúla, eagraíochtaí a bhfuil leas acu sna blianta luathfhorbartha, suíomhanna luath-óige, scoileanna agus coláistí. Tá Leabharlanna Fhine Gall, dá bharr, ag forbairt gníomhaíochtaí áirithe chun an pobal a chur ar an eolas d’fhonn tacú leis an leanbh liteartha. Sonraíonn an doiciméad seo Straitéis Litearthachta Luathbhlianta Leabharlanna Fhine Gall (dá dtagraítear Straitéis anseo amach anseo). Tosaíonn sé le creat de Chontae Fhine Gall go ginearálta agus Leabharlanna …

Two Approaches To Teaching Young Children Science Concepts, Vocabulary, And Scientific Problem-Solving Skills, Soo-Young Hong, Karen E. Diamond

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

The present study examined the efficacy of two different approaches to teaching designed to facilitate children’s learning about science concepts and vocabulary related to objects’ floating and sinking and scientific problem-solving skills: responsive teaching (RT) and the combination of responsive teaching and explicit instruction (RT + EI). Participants included 104 children (51 boys) aged four to five years.Small groups of children were randomly assigned to one of the two intervention groups (RT, RT + EI) or to a control group. Responsive teaching (RT) reflects a common approach to teaching young children, and the combination approach (RT + EI) includes explicit …

Investigating The Reggio Emilia Study Tour Experience: From Conversation To Insights, William Arthur Parnell

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Taking early childhood Master's students on a Reggio Emilia Study Tour leads to making meaning of anticipatory and after-experience reflective narrative-episodes. These narrative episodes are constructed around the phenomena of anticipating the trip as well as reflecting on the experiences during and after the study tour. The experiences are then analyzed collaboratively among researchers and participants through informal discussions. Themes in each narrative episode are explored through the written narratives and then conclusions are drawn. Anticipatory themes include eagerness to see, desire to witness the image of the child in the everyday, and a concern about adopting the Reggio approach …

Culturally Responsive Professional Development For Latinas In Family Child Care: A Dissertation, Jody Figuerido

Educational Studies Dissertations

Latina Family Child Care (FCC) Educators provide early education and care (EEC) for children in their homes. High quality EEC programs, including the FCC setting, help children form a firm foundation for future learning, resulting in positive outcomes. In order to provide this level of programming, educators must participate in specialized training related to early childhood education. Unfortunately, the literature provides limited guidance regarding professional development that meets the needs of the diverse adult learner in the field of early childhood education. The focus of this qualitative study is to articulate the elements of culturally responsive professional development for the …

12 Museum Theorists At Play, Marian Howard, Lauren Appel, Nicole Ferrin, David Vining, Katherine Hillman, Marissa Corwin, Berry Stein, Nicole Keller, William Elliston, David Bowles, Tiffany Reedy, Kathryn Eliza Harris, Liat Olenick

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Introduction by Lauren Appel
1. Learning by Do-weyan, by Marian Howard, with Nicole Ferrin
2: Dewey Defines Himself and Education, by David Vining
3. Benjamin Ives Gilman: Arts in People’s Lives, by Katherine Hillman
4. John Cotton Dana: The Social Construction of Museums, by Marissa Corwin
5. Piaget in the Art Museum: Constructing Knowledge Through Active Engagement, by Berry Stein
6. Lev Vygotsky: The Social Aspects of Learning, by Nicole Keller
7. Paulo Freire: Literacy, Democracy, and Context, by Nicole Keller
8. Maxine Greene: Aesthetic Education, by Lauren Appel
9. Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligence Theory: A Practical Application of …

Asl Versus Gestures: Mothers Promotion Of Manual Communication With Their Children, Vanessa Michelle Arreola

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Using ASL and/or gestures has been found to facilitate verbal language in hearing children and has become a new area of interest among researchers. Because socioeconomic status plays a role in behaviors and language development, this study was designed to target individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds in the hopes of finding whether ASL or gestures were used more by their children, whether mothers are capable of promoting the use of ASL in the home environment, and whether ASL or gestures was preferred more by the mothers. Mothers were taught ASL signs based on the MacArthur Communicative Index and gestures in …

Integration Of Learning Spaces And Modes In The Elt Class: A Case Inquiry Paper, Mariam Farooq

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Factors Related To Sibling Involvement In Early Childhood Intervention, Julie Harp Rutland

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Professionals in early intervention have little information about the levels of sibling involvement in intervention, factors that contribute to sibling involvement, or how sibling involvement is related to families’ perceptions of self-efficacy. Few studies have investigated siblings in early intervention, and none have focused on relationships between sibling involvement in early intervention and parent self-efficacy. Using quantitative survey research this study investigated factors related to sibling involvement in early intervention strategies. Respondents completing the survey consisted of 129 parents who had a child enrolled in Michigan’s early intervention program, and at least one sibling in the home. Results indicated a …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of The Learning Community As A Form Of Professional Development And A Catalyst For Changing The Beliefs And Practices Of Family Child Care Providers, Jennifer Gerdes

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored the influence of a 12-hour professional learning community for family child care providers in an urban Midwest city on the participants’ beliefs and practices. A secondary purpose was to explore the potential of the professional learning community as a format for professional development of family child care providers. Data for this study were collected in multiple ways including participant journals, field notes, recordings of learning community sessions, and collected artifacts from learning community provocations. For this group of family child care providers, the learning community was a useful format for professional development. The learning community influenced growth …

Enrollment And Academic Outcomes Of English Language Learners In Pre-K To Grade 3 In The Boston Public Schools, Sy2009: Data Points For A Discussion At Wheelock College, Miren Uriarte, Faye Karp

Gastón Institute Publications

This brief report focuses on the enrollment, characteristics and academic outcomes of English Language Learners in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 3 in comparison with those of English proficient students and all students at these grade levels. The purpose of the report is to generate discussion about ways in which the learning needs of these students can best be met. As proposed, the report consists primarily of data tables and annotations organized around five sets of questions.

A Head Start To Learning: Exploration Of A Parent-Directed Intervention To Promote Early Literacy Skill Development, Ashley Nicole Sundman-Wheat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a parent-led intervention focused on developing children's early literacy skills within the home setting. The lesson plans contain scripted steps for completing activities to teach letter names and phonological awareness skills. Archival data were analyzed from a study conducted with 26 families from three Head Start centers. Thirteen families completed the intervention and thirteen families were enrolled in a control condition which provided information on shared reading strategies. Children in the intervention group performed at statistically significant higher levels on measures of letter naming, phonological awareness, vocabulary/oral language, and comprehension. Parents rated both the …