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Full-Text Articles in Education

Developing Self-Regulation, Terriann Vandeventer Dec 2023

Developing Self-Regulation, Terriann Vandeventer

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

"Abstract This research seeks to determine if children can develop self-regulation through games and activities in early childhood. This research was completed over six weeks in a classroom of three- to six-year-old students in a Montessori school. The researcher presented weekly games to the students to develop self-regulation skills such as listening, following directions, and body awareness. The researcher completed student surveys using qualitative and quantitative data from teacher observations to support their findings. The research found that games and activities can develop self-regulation skills in young children, lead to positive self-regulation behavior, decrease negative regulation skills, and increase self-awareness."


Building Anger Management Skills In Preschoolers, Manuelita Valdez Aceves May 2023

Building Anger Management Skills In Preschoolers, Manuelita Valdez Aceves

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many young kids have not yet developed social-emotional skills, which prevents them from controlling their feelings and emotions. When children do not learn to regulate their emotions, anger, frustration, and aggression issues are more likely to arise. However, when they do develop these skills, children can build self-awareness and confidence, increase empathy for others, and build positive relationships. Therefore, to support young children in developing self-regulation skills and dealing with feelings, I created a three-day lesson for teaching anger management skills to preschool children at Migrant Seasonal Head Start in Gonzales, California.


Improving Self-Regulation Skills In Kindergarten Students, Elizabeth Andrade May 2023

Improving Self-Regulation Skills In Kindergarten Students, Elizabeth Andrade

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many young children have not yet developed social emotional skills. A lack of social emotional learning and self-regulation skills may result in children who may be unable to manage big emotions such as anger. Without the skills to process these big emotions, they may experience conflict in peer relationships leading to them potentially acting out. Children who learn social-emotional skills inherit self-regulation techniques that help combat emotional distress and encourage regulation. In order to support children in developing emotional regulation skills, I have created a two-day lesson for Kindergarteners at Robert Down Elementary school.


Executive Function & Self-Regulation In Preschool Age Children: Mindfulness Intervention, Larissa Lamarca Jan 2023

Executive Function & Self-Regulation In Preschool Age Children: Mindfulness Intervention, Larissa Lamarca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Executive function is an umbrella term used in psychology to define a number of cognitive processes that are important for success in daily life. Both self-awareness, being able to focus one’s thoughts and behavior, and self-regulation, being able to manage emotional and behavioral responses, are important components of executive function. Between three- and five-years of age, children begin developing such skills rapidly which are necessary for school readiness. This study recruited children participants from four local preschools to test for improvement in attention and self-regulatory skills. Two schools completed a mindful yoga activity for five consecutive days, while a second …


Effects Of Practical Life Activities And Normalization In The 3–6-Year-Old Classroom, Lori North Dec 2022

Effects Of Practical Life Activities And Normalization In The 3–6-Year-Old Classroom, Lori North

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

"This study aims to determine the effects Practical Life activities have on the process of normalization of students in a Montessori primary classroom. The research took place over six weeks and included 22 participants. Each day the participants were given Practical Life lessons, such as dry pouring, rolling up a work mat, walking around the ellipse, etc. Students who can concentrate and work freely in the Montessori classroom are moving toward normalization. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine the effects of how Practical Life activities assist the process of normalization of children ages 3-6. Findings suggest that …


Increased Child Initiated Activity In Child-Centered Learning Environments, Angela Robinson Dec 2022

Increased Child Initiated Activity In Child-Centered Learning Environments, Angela Robinson

Graduate Teacher Education

Child-initiated activity in child-centered learning environments benefits the development of the whole child. Current research lends evidence that the early relationships and experiences of a child directly impact learning success (Nitecki, 2017; Fyffe et al., 2022). The indoor and outdoor environment are positioned as places for learning providing freedom and space to support health and well-being (Maynard et al., 2013). Classrooms have largely removed free play to address academic standards and high-stakes testing (Pistrova & Slutsky, 2018). This has been demonstrated by the implementation of scripted curriculum, the removal of toys such as unit blocks that foster creativity and imagination, …


Teacher Perception Of A Brief Mindfulness-Based Curriculum And Its Impact On The Development Of Social Skills And Self-Regulation On A Preschool Classroom, Allison Poggendorf Aug 2022

Teacher Perception Of A Brief Mindfulness-Based Curriculum And Its Impact On The Development Of Social Skills And Self-Regulation On A Preschool Classroom, Allison Poggendorf

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Recent studies on mindfulness and its impact on children have found promising results, especially with social-emotional skill development. A majority of the research on mindfulness applied in educational setting tends to focus on elementary and high school students, and there is limited, but growing research that examines the impact of mindfulness among early childhood students. This current study explored the impact of a brief mindfulness-based curriculum on an intact preschool classroom. Specifically, this study examined if preschool teachers perceive mindfulness practices in the classroom to impact their students’ self-regulation skills and social skills and how likely they were to continue …


“I Can’T Calm Myself”: Mindfulness In A Special Education Resource Setting, Paige Schmidt May 2022

“I Can’T Calm Myself”: Mindfulness In A Special Education Resource Setting, Paige Schmidt

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this study was to examine how brief mindfulness practices influence students receiving special education in a resource setting that provides one-on-one support outside of the general education classroom. The researcher utilized three to five minutes of breathing exercises, stretches, and discussion every day before beginning instruction. Data was collected through observations, pre- and post-surveys, and post-activity interviews. The constant comparative method was used for analyzing data to find emerging or recurring themes in the data collected. Three major themes emerged from the collected data: social-emotional regulation, making a choice, and the flexibility of mindfulness. Through observations, four …


The Effects Of Cognitively Engaging Exercise On Children’S Executive Functioning, Emily E. Osborn May 2022

The Effects Of Cognitively Engaging Exercise On Children’S Executive Functioning, Emily E. Osborn

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study examines the effect of combining vigorous exercise with cognitively engaging games on children’s executive functioning skills such as self-direction, engagement, and focus. Over four weeks, the research took place in a Montessori early childhood classroom with 17 children ages 2.6 to 6. The four-week study included a one-week baseline week to collect initial data on the capabilities of self-direction and comprehensive data on energy levels and engagement. The children participated in a 14-minute movement activity with 7 minutes of vigorous exercise and 7 minutes of cognitive-engaging games. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative data tools to examine …


A Balancing Act: Analyzing The Effects Of Embedded Versus Isolated Self-Regulation Breathing Techniques On Inattention And Phonemic Segmentation Skill Acquisition In Kindergartners, Kimberly A. Atkinson Jan 2022

A Balancing Act: Analyzing The Effects Of Embedded Versus Isolated Self-Regulation Breathing Techniques On Inattention And Phonemic Segmentation Skill Acquisition In Kindergartners, Kimberly A. Atkinson

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Using a mixed-methods convergent design within an Improvement Science framework, this Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice analyzed the effects of embedding self-regulation breathing techniques into the phonemic segmentation lesson versus conducting the techniques prior to the lesson or not at all. The project was conducted across two elementary schools, using six kindergarten educators and classes. The research began with a pre-assessment, followed by two days of applying or withholding the intervention across three groups (no intervention, isolated intervention, embedded intervention), and concluded with a post-assessment. The researcher conducted the academic lessons while the educators conducted inattention behavioral observations. After each …


Mindfulness In Early Childhood Education, Madalyn L. Coss Dec 2021

Mindfulness In Early Childhood Education, Madalyn L. Coss

Honors Projects

The following work identifies the need for mindfulness in early childhood education. It explains what mindfulness is, what the benefits of it are, and how it can be used in early childhood classrooms. A podcast episode is included with the intent of it being used to inform educators on the subject.


Social-Emotional Learning For The Classroom And Family Contexts, Courtney Bockbrader Dec 2021

Social-Emotional Learning For The Classroom And Family Contexts, Courtney Bockbrader

Honors Projects

This project focused on developing a social-emotional learning workbook for use in the classroom and family contexts. Based on a review of relevant literature, emotional recognition, self-regulation, and social skills were identified as the most beneficial social-emotional skills for the personal and academic success of elementary-aged students. The resulting workbook included eleven activities aimed at promoting these three skills. Each activity was designed to be implemented in the classroom setting, with associated take-home activities for use in the home with the parent/guardian(s) for increased generalization of skills. Accessibility for schools of all income levels was taken into account, as activities …


Using Mindfulness Practices To Increase Self-Regulation In Pre-Kindergarten And Kindergarten-Aged Children, Ellyn E. Culotta Mar 2021

Using Mindfulness Practices To Increase Self-Regulation In Pre-Kindergarten And Kindergarten-Aged Children, Ellyn E. Culotta

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Self-regulation is identified in the literature as an early predictor of later life success and an important skill that develops over the course of a lifetime beginning in early childhood (Flook et al., 2015; Montroy et al., 2016; Murray et al., 2017). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to assess whether direct instruction of Mindfulness Practices, such as guided meditation and yoga poses (Lee et al., 2020; Poehlmann-Tynan et al., 2016; Zelazo et al., 2012) would increase self-regulatory behaviors, such as impulse control, emotion regulation, and problem-solving in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten aged children. METHOD: Target children were …


The Impact Of Grace And Courtesy Lessons On Self-Regulation In A Toddler Montessori Environment, Catherine S. T. Greene May 2020

The Impact Of Grace And Courtesy Lessons On Self-Regulation In A Toddler Montessori Environment, Catherine S. T. Greene

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The skills associated with self-regulation begin in toddlerhood. This action research study was designed to assess the impact of Grace and Courtesy lessons on toddler behavior. Students participated in lessons on how to greet a friend, how to ask for a turn and how to express affection. The study took place in a Montessori toddler classroom of 14 children, aged 26-36 months old. The classroom was part of a half-day Montessori preschool located in the South Eastern United States. I used field notes and tally marks to observe behavior in the classroom. Observations were done daily, and the data collection …


The Effects Of Connecting Rituals On Verbal Conflicts In The Montessori Preschool Classroom, Dave Budish May 2020

The Effects Of Connecting Rituals On Verbal Conflicts In The Montessori Preschool Classroom, Dave Budish

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to see if a program through Conscious Discipline called Connecting Rituals would decrease the number of verbal conflicts in a Montessori preschool classroom. Conscious Discipline is a non-punitive, non-adversarial behavior program that is backed by current brain science. One aspect of the Conscious Discipline model is Connecting Rituals. Connecting Rituals are short games, nursery rhymes, and finger plays that adults and children do together in large or small groups. The Connecting Rituals would increase self-regulation and social skills in a Montessori preschool classroom. The study was conducted in a Montessori preschool classroom …


Intentional Strategies That Build Self-Regulation In Preschoolers, Melissa Martin Dec 2019

Intentional Strategies That Build Self-Regulation In Preschoolers, Melissa Martin

Graduate Teacher Education

As academic standards continue to increase, young children are often challenged to attend to structured and teacher-directed educational activities for developmentally inappropriate periods of time. In response, there is an increasing awareness of how academic achievement and self-regulation are affected by difficulties in sensory processing. Traditional interventions for children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) have primarily been conducted by trained Occupational Therapists (OT) in clinical based settings. This capstone investigated research on possible collaborative interventions and environmental supports and adaptations within the classroom setting that would build self-regulation and attention in all preschool children. The studies reviewed indicated support for …


The Effects Of Character Education Literature Of Bucket Filling Strategies On The Ability Of 5-Year-Old Students To Self-Regulate In A Montessori Classroom, Margaret R. Kennedy Dec 2019

The Effects Of Character Education Literature Of Bucket Filling Strategies On The Ability Of 5-Year-Old Students To Self-Regulate In A Montessori Classroom, Margaret R. Kennedy

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to explore how the implementation of bucket filling could affect self-regulation in 5-year-olds in a Montessori classroom. The bucket filling theme is character education children’s literature. The collection of data for this action research utilized a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative, including the pre- and post-Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment, daily observation reflections, and tally sheets of behaviors. The data collected and analyzed in this study use of bucket filling can have some effect on self-regulation skills in 5-year-olds in a Montessori classroom. Self-regulation is essential to success in the classroom and in …


The Effects Of Implementing Montessori At Home On Children’S Independence And Self-Regulation In A Montessori Classroom, Betty Namuddu, Emily Vance, Victoria Litton May 2019

The Effects Of Implementing Montessori At Home On Children’S Independence And Self-Regulation In A Montessori Classroom, Betty Namuddu, Emily Vance, Victoria Litton

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The ultimate goal of Montessori educators is to prepare the child, the whole child. One who is not only excelling academically, but also is independent, a critical thinker, and can collaborate with people from all different walks of life. The role of the Montessori educators is to prepare and guide children to independence, this is an increasingly difficult goal to achieve independence and self-regulation especially in the three to six, and six to nine age group. The Montessori guides have grappled with the disconnect between the home environment and school environment, citing it as the major obstacle to children’s independence. …


Examining Relationships Between The Wakids Gold Social-Emotional And Cognitive Subtests Of Executive Function And Kindergarten Reading Readiness, Amy J. Wright Apr 2019

Examining Relationships Between The Wakids Gold Social-Emotional And Cognitive Subtests Of Executive Function And Kindergarten Reading Readiness, Amy J. Wright

Education Dissertations

Executive function skills, which are defined as a person’s ability to regulate behaviors such as attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, play a role in a child’s successful transition from preschool to kindergarten. The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the relationship between executive function in early childhood, as measured by the WaKIDS GOLDTM social-emotional and cognitive subtests, and early reading readiness. The research design was both correlational and predictive (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2006). The target population is kindergarteners in a suburban Washington State school district. The study is based on data collected at the …


Enacting Self-Regulation Expectations In Kindergarten Programs Using A Distributed Leadership Framework, Lisa Cranston Jun 2018

Enacting Self-Regulation Expectations In Kindergarten Programs Using A Distributed Leadership Framework, Lisa Cranston

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

On June 30, 2016, the Ontario Ministry of Education released The Kindergarten Program, a document which outlined the expectations to be taught and the pedagogical approaches to be used in all publicly funded Ontario kindergarten classrooms with a mandatory implementation date of September 2016. This document included a focus on self-regulation, since research has shown that self-regulation skills are essential for not only early learning but for social and emotional success throughout life. This Organization Improvement Plan (OIP) investigates several possible strategies for ensuring that all kindergarten teachers and Early Childhood Educators in School Board X can articulate what self-regulation …


The Effects Of Connecting Rituals On Tantrums And Physical Conflicts, Julia E. Neumann May 2018

The Effects Of Connecting Rituals On Tantrums And Physical Conflicts, Julia E. Neumann

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study was conducted to determine if creating strong student-teacher relationships through a program called Conscious Discipline decreased the number of physical conflicts and tantrums, therefore increasing self-regulation, in an early childhood classroom. This study took place in an early childhood Montessori classroom. There were 25 participants, mixed genders, ages 2.5 to 6 years old. The researcher taught and practiced connecting rituals from the Conscious Discipline program every day during the normal large group time. The researcher collected data by using tally marks to record every time a physical conflict, individual tantrum, or connecting ritual without adult encouragement took place, …


Self-Regulation To Practice: Incorporating The Strategy To An Early Childhood Special Education Setting, Kathryn L. Szwed Apr 2016

Self-Regulation To Practice: Incorporating The Strategy To An Early Childhood Special Education Setting, Kathryn L. Szwed

Open Access Dissertations

Preschool students who display social emotional deficits pose challenging issues for families, caregivers and teachers who educate them. In this study, the effectiveness of an assistive technology based treatment package consisting of video self-modeling and behavior management software was investigated to determine if its combined use would result in increased student self-regulation skills. Using a multiple baseline design, three students used the treatment package to increase self-regulation skills. During the investigation, the accuracy to self-identify behaviors, the documentation of desired and undesired behaviors and the overall impact of the treatment package was studied. Interobserver agreement (IOA) was used to determine …