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

Writing Activity Objectives For Caring For And Educating Infants And Toddlers, Steven Reuter, Elizabeth J. Sandell, Amber Bissonette, Alyssa Nicholson-Hansen, Amanda Sterna

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Supporting Early Childhood Educational Provision Within A Cluster Of Deis Preschool And Primary School Settings With A Specific Focus On Transition Between The Two Educational Settings., Mary O'Kane, Noirin Hayes

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Efficacy Of Emotional And Instructional Support (Eis) Training And Consultation On Head Start Teacher-Child Interactions, Rory Brown Sipp

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is an increased need for quality in the field of early care and education and, teachers interactions with his or her students are the catalyst for providing and ensuring quality within early childhood environments (La Paro, Pianta, & Hamre, 2008). The study examined the effect of training and consultation on Head Start teacher and child interactions as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, also known as the CLASS.

Twenty-one Head Start teachers located in Southern Nevada served as participants in the study where non-threatening and evidence based training and consultation was provided over six weeks. Trainings were provided …

The Implementation Of A Conceptually Coherent Curriculum Within A Constructivist Preschool Environment, Heather Jones, Sarah Post

Psychology and Child Development

Creating a learning environment that enchants children’s curiosity and sparks exploration, discovery, and thought does not require a great amount of financial resources. Rather, one must concentrate on observation and focus on building on children’s existing interests in the natural world. The research and theories of Swiss psychologist and philosopher, Jean Piaget, and Russian Psychologist, Lev Vygotsky provide a concrete look into a child’s cognitive and social development and can be informative in creating such environments. Using the developmental knowledge presented in these theories, programs such as the Reggio Emilia program, the Preschool Pathways to Science program (PrePS), and the …

Understanding The Nature Of Learning Disorders In Pakistani Classooms, Kausar Waqar, Nilofar Vazir

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Early Childhood Staff's Understandings And Practices Of Parent Involvement In Private Early Childhood Services: An Exploratory Study, Maria Mcdermott

Masters

In modem Western society growing numbers of parents are employed in the labour market and while they work, parents and early years practitioners (EYPs) share responsibility for raising children. Attention to the quality of children's and families' experiences in these settings is increasing rapidly (Walsh, 2003; OECD, 2006). Parent involvement, has been identified as an indicator of quality, and the benefits that accrue from this involvement for children, parents and EYPs have been widely reported. Most parents are interested and want to be involved in their children's development, learning and education but how EYPs view parent involvement is an important …

Implementation Of Language And Literacy Practices By Prekindergarten Teachers In The West Virginia Universal Pre-K System, Leslie Papelier

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated the perceived frequency of implementation of language and literacy practices for 217 West Virginia Pre-K teachers. Teachers were employed in public school-based and community-based classrooms for 4-year-olds. Respondents completed the Language and Literacy Practice Survey (LLPS), which measured their perceived frequency of implementation of 18 language and literacy practices. Their overall perceived ability level for implementing effective language and literacy instruction was also assessed. Respondents also rated their use of resources and materials to facilitate effective language and literacy instruction. Additionally, respondents answered open-ended qualitative questions to determine perceived constraints that may hinder their effective implementation of …

A Study Of Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices About Early Literacy Learning, Jennifer Mayo

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated differences in literacy beliefs and related instructional practices for 427 West Virginia K-2 early childhood teachers to determine how early literacy instruction is best facilitated for young children and whether their beliefs clustered into identifiable literacy models. Respondents completed the Teachers‘ Beliefs about Literacy Questionnaire (TBALQ) which measured the level of belief and degree of influence on the implementation of 24 statements coded as: top-down (child-centered); bottom-up (teacher-directed); or interactive (balanced) instructional practices.

Respondents also self-rated their general position on a scale from 1 to 7 regarding whether children‘s literacy acquisition should be grounded in immersion (whole …

Grade Retention As Perceived By Kindergarten Through Third Grade Teachers, Brittany Leigh Pettay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the attitudes of kindergarten through third grade teachers regarding academic, emotional and social effects of grade retention, in addition to alternative interventions to retention. The teachers were asked to take part in a survey on grade retention as an intervention. After completing the initial survey, teachers were then asked to read an article entitled, "Grade Retention and Promotion" (Jimerson, Graydon, Pletcher, Schnurr, Kundert, & Nickerson, 2006) and then take a post-survey.

The results of this study reveal that the teachers' attitudes about grade retention were significantly changed when they were presented with a research-based article entitled "Grade …

The Nature Of Teacher Talk During Small Group Activities, Julie Rainer Dangel, Tonia Renee Durden

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

This article examines teacher talk and its elements--kinds of language, functions of language, promoting children's thinking, and power--during small group activities with 2- and 3-year-olds. After observing and videotaping activities in two early childhood classrooms, we are convinced that teachers can promote children's thinking and encourage their participation in authentic conversations (Durden & Rainer Dangel 2008). We examine how two teachers (in toddler and preschool classrooms) talk to children and facilitate small group activities to encourage children's thinking.

Hope And Possibilities: Inspirations And Insight From Hosting "The Wonder Of Learning- The Hundred Languages Of Children" Exhibit In Indianapolis, Indiana, Ena Shelley

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Dr. Ena Shelley gives her remarks after "The Wonder of Learning- The Hundred Languages of Children" Exhibit in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Efficacy Of A Vocabulary Acquisition Program In Young English Language Learners, Renee Mimbs Powers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers know that many nonnative English language learners (ELLs) have problems with successful negotiation of academic English vocabulary. The purpose of this study, working from a behavioralist perspective as espoused by Thorndike, Skinner, and Bandura, was to determine if a vocabulary program influenced word acquisition in first grade ELLs. The research questions focused on the degree to which the program affected the learner's vocabulary and helped to alleviate word poverty from among the 34 participants in the study. In this quantitative pretest -- posttest design, ELL students were exposed to 9 weeks of intense instruction. The vocabulary acquisition of ELL …

The Use Of Handheld Devices For Improved Phonemic Awareness In A Traditional Kindergarten Classroom, Cristy Ann Magagna-Mcbee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective teaching strategies that improve the development of phonemic awareness are important to ensure students are fluent readers by third grade. The use of handheld devices to improve phonemic awareness with kindergarten students may be such a strategy, but no research exists that evaluates the use of these devices. This study explored the effectiveness of Bee-Bot handheld devices in kindergarten classrooms to teach phonemic awareness. A 4-month sequential mixed-methods study was conducted in four classrooms: two that used Bee-Bot handheld devices in phonemic awareness lessons and two that never used the devices. The score gain (Fall 2009 to Winter 2010) …

A Case Study: The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum And Kindergarten Readiness In The Pittsgrove Township School District, Loren D. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Evidence-Based Programs That Address Social Emotional Learning In An Early Childhood Setting, Jihan Ali

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to compare and contrast evidence-based curriculums that address social-emotional learning for children 3 to 5 years old in a rural early childhood setting. Factors that will be considered include the effectiveness of the program with diverse populations, implementation in rural areas, includes a parenting component, cost of training as well as other appropriate factors. By providing effective early childhood education to children and parents, Fernbrook will be able to give the parents skills to more effectively parent at the home and children skills to develop healthy social emotional skills.

Research Question: What evidence-based social …

Preschool Environments, Relationships And Creative Skills: A Case Study, Petronella Anita Cameron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies indicate the importance of supporting children's creative and social skills during the early years of their development, in part because children can develop low self-esteem when these skills are left unattended in preschool environments. However, as of yet research has not identified strategies preschool instructors used to prepare preschool environments to nurture the development of these skills. This qualitative case study examined how preschool environments nurture the development of preschool children's creative skills and relationships. Grounded in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Torrance's theory of guiding creative talent, the study used a purposeful sample of 9 prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers …

Implementation Of A Relationship-Based School Readiness Intervention: A Multidimensional Approach To Fidelity Measurement For Early Childhood, Lisa L. Knoche, Susan M. Sheridan, Carolyn P. Edwards, Allison Q. Osborn

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

The implementation efforts of 65 early childhood professionals involved in the Getting Ready project, an integrated, multi-systemic intervention that promotes school readiness through parent engagement for children from birth to age five, were investigated. Digital videotaped records of professionals engaged in home visits with families across both treatment and comparison conditions were coded objectively using a partial–interval recording system to identify and record early childhood professionals’ implementation of intervention strategies and their effectiveness in promoting parent engagement and interest in their child. Adherence, quality of intervention delivery, differentiation between groups, and participant responsiveness were assessed as multiple dimensions of fidelity. …

Parent Engagement And School Readiness: Effects Of The Getting Ready Intervention On Preschool Children’S Social-Emotional Competencies, Susan M. Sheridan Dr., Lisa Knoche, Carolyn P. Edwards, James A. Bovaird, Kevin A. Kupzyk

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

Research Findings: Parental engagement with children has been linked to a number of adaptive characteristics in preschool children, and relationships between families and professionals are an important contributor to school readiness. Furthermore, social-emotional competence is a key component of young children’s school readiness. This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention (Getting Ready) designed to facilitate school readiness among disadvantaged preschool children, with a particular focus on social-emotional outcomes. Two hundred and twenty children were involved over the 4-year study period. Statistically significant differences were observed between treatment and control participants in the rate …

Multiyear Student/Teacher Relationships And Language Development In Children Of Hawaiian Descent At Kamehameha Schools Community Based Early Childhood Education Program, Susan Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although numerous studies have documented the connection between early language and academic achievement, there is much less information available about the effects of teacher/student relationships on language development. Based on Vygotsky's theory that all learning takes place in the context of relationships, this quasi-experimental study examined language scores for students in an early education classroom who stayed with the same teacher for 2 years compared with those in a classroom with two different teachers for each of the 2 years. Pre- and posttest scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III) and language scores on the Developmental Indicators for the …

The Perceptions Of Developmental Therapists About The Influence Of Inner-City Home Environments On Service Delivery, Tywanda Jiles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act required that early intervention services for young children from birth to age 3 take place in their natural environment. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of this requirement on the actual service providers who work within the home environments. Lewin's field theory on behavior, individual person, and the environment formed the theoretical framework for this descriptive case study, which examined the perceptions of developmental therapists on how their service is influenced by the inner-city home environment. Ten developmental therapists in a midwestern metropolitan city were interviewed about their beliefs …