Education Commons^™

The Effect Of Early Literacy Experiences On Preschool Teachers’ Literacy Approach, Lisa Mcmillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how personal literacy experiences during the early years of three preschool teachers impact the literacy experiences they provide for their students in their preschool classroom. Data was collected using the narrative inquiry method of qualitative research. Two in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted with three preschool teachers at Hunter Early Learning Center. Questions were asked aiming to learn about the childhood literacy experiences of the teachers and about their approach to literacy as preschool teachers. They were also asked to create aesthetic representations at the end of each interview as an additional source …

Australian Early Childhood Teachers’ Training In Language And Literacy: A Nation-Wide Review Of Pre-Service Course Content, Tessa Weadman, Tanya Serry, Pamela C. Snow

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Early childhood teachers are well-positioned to maximise preschoolers’ development in oral language and emergent literacy; both of which are vital predictors of academic success at school. Research investigating their pre-service training in language and emergent literacy remains limited. This issue is addressed in the present study, with the first nation-wide review of the oral language and emergent literacy course content across all 84 Australian early childhood teacher pre-service courses. Qualitative Content Analysis was employed to gain an overview of language and emergent literacy teaching content reported in publicly available course documents. Study findings demonstrated large variation in the oral language …

Assessment Of Oral Language And Early Literacy In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Danielle Anzai, Sandra Knowles, Dan Cloney, Pam Munro-Smith, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review is one of a series of reviews to support Victorian early childhood professionals to assess children's learning and development in relation to the five Learning and Development Outcomes in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). This review focuses on the Outcome: Children are effective communicators, and specifically on children as effective oral communicators. Focusing on the development of oral language and early literacy in the early years, this literature review sets out to provide a resource that will equip early childhood professionals with the knowledge to identify and assess children's progress in oral language …

Parent Perceptions Of Quality Early Childhood Education Programs, Lichelle Jones-Wilkins

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Early childhood education (ECE) programs play an important role in a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. ECE programs strive to prepare the students for kindergarten. The importance and value of ECE programs have increasingly become more important to state and federal officials. As a result, these officials have made significant efforts to make ECE programs more accessible. When it comes to selecting educational programs for their children, parents are frequently the primary decision makers. Rather than parental choice, studies usually focus on stakeholder perspectives on quality care. The goal of this 3-phase study was to better understand the factors …

Exploratory Study On The Teaching Of Reading In Lower Primary Classes: A Case One Government Primary School In Kocheka Sub County, Uganda., Kulwenza Rachael

Theses & Dissertations

Reading is an important aspect of the literacy development of children in the early years of education. Studies have indicated that if children are not given a strong foundation of basics of reading at early stages, it is probable that they might fail to read in the later stages. Therefore, study aimed at exploring the teaching of reading in lower primary classes in one public primary school in Kocheka sub-county, Uganda. It was a single case study that adopted a qualitative research approach targeting six teachers, two from every lower class, one head teacher, and one District Inspector of Schools …

Kindergarten Entry Assessment Practices In Pennsylvania, Anne Katona Linn Ed.D.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is significant variation in kindergarten programs and the entry assessment systems used in school districts. There are no reliable data on the kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) systems used in public kindergarten programs across the Commonwealth. It is well-established that comprehensive KEAs should be part of a broader preschool through third grade (P-3) continuum of early childhood education to assess whole-child skills, include families and community partners, be culturally and linguistically responsive, and developmentally appropriate. This study aimed to understand the KEA practices of kindergarten teachers in Pennsylvania. An online survey was distributed to kindergarten …

Improving Early Autism Diagnosis In Underserved Communities Through The Use Of “Learn The Signs. Act Early.” Developmental Milestone Tracking Tool, Tamara L. Ellington, Tracy L. Brewer

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Many children entering early childhood education programs have symptoms of autism spectrum disorder yet remain undiagnosed. Research suggests this is especially true for low-income and minority children who may not participate in regular pediatric check-ups, have parents with low health literacy, or who may experience provider bias. Thus, they are diagnosed at a later age compared to upper-class White children. Early autism-specific intervention services can have a profound and lasting impact on long-term developmental outcomes for children with autism. Identification of the symptoms of autism is key to triggering the autism evaluation process that leads to a formal autism diagnosis …

Survey Of Teachers In Pre-Primary Education (Stepp): Lessons From The Implementation Of The Pilot Study And Field Trial Of International Survey Instruments, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Maurice Walker, Yoshie Kaga

Early Childhood Education

The present publication documents the achievements and lessons learned from the first phase of the Survey of Teachers in Pre-primary Education (STEPP) project, implemented by UNESCO from 2016 to 2019, with the participation of seven countries, namely, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Namibia, the Philippines, Togo, and Viet Nam. It is the first international survey for low-and-middle-income countries designed to collect information that is known to affect the quality of pre-primary education from pre-primary teachers and centre heads. The collected information concerns training and professional development, pedagogical and professional practices, working conditions and job satisfaction, and characteristics of pre-primary personnel …

Providing Head Start Services Amid A Global Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Study Of Capacity, Resources, And Support, Kelly L. Vigants

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic altered education in dramatic ways including immediate building closures and the implementation of virtual instruction. In March of 2020, Michigan faced a statewide shutdown on all non-essential travel as Michiganders were ordered to “Stay Home. Stay Safe.” Head Start began to provide remote services to families and students. Head Start lead teachers were charged with using virtual methods to teach their students. With little direction in the beginning and many unknowns, Head Start lead teachers used innovative methods to promote family engagement.

This study used a mixed method, explanatory sequential design to evaluate the most effective methods …

We Are All Learning About Climate Change: Teaching With Picture Books To Engage Teachers And Students, Ysaaca D. Axelrod, Denise Ives, Rachel Weaver

Occasional Paper Series

The topic of climate change and climate justice is politically charged, doesn’t sit neatly within a single subject or content area, and raises concerns of not being ‘age appropriate’ for young children. In this paper we describe how teacher educators in an elementary education program support a student teacher who took up the topic of climate change and climate justice in her 1st grade teaching placement. She designed a unit around a picture book that focuses on the words and work of Greta Thunberg, and used a diverse set of texts to support students’ understanding of the complexity of climate …

Angry Like Me, Catherine-Laura Dunnington, Shoshana Magnet

Occasional Paper Series

In this article we take on a challenging picture book, The Heart and the Bottle written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, and how one preschool boy’s response changed us. As part of a three-center initiative to discuss hard feelings and grief with preschool learners, we teamed with six preschool teachers to read and work through this text. We explore how both the preschoolers’ and the teachers’ responses challenged us to look at how the disjoint between pedagogy (literature that says we should teach these types of texts) and practice (how this classroom experience actually unfolds) leaves much room for continued …

Equitable Compensation For The Child Care Workforce: Within Reach And Worth The Investment, Emily Sharrock, Courtney Parkerson

Bank Street Education Center

This brief outlines concrete ideas and innovative strategies to help advance early educator compensation at the local, state, and federal levels and, in turn, support the development and care of our nation's youngest learners.

Impact Of Oer In Teacher Education, Denise Cummings-Clay

Publications and Research

The purpose of this research study, which employed a quantitative research design, was to determine if there was a difference in the grades achieved by students who were enrolled in an entry-level Foundations of Education course using Open Educational Resources (OER) versus the grades achieved by students who used textbooks in other course sections. The goal was to find out whether OER was of the same or higher quality as textbooks in our minority-serving higher education institution. The outcomes revealed that there was no significant difference in grades for course sections that used OER when compared to course sections that …

Black Teachers’ Collective Wisdom As Social Justice Pedagogy: A Black Feminist Narrative Analysis, Jacqueline Cora Boone

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

In this age, 21st century, where social issues surrounding race and gender are impassioned and escalating, black feminists and Black Feminist Theory are leading the charge in bringing salience through activism and engagement. Doing post structural qualitative research aims to dismantle a myth of scientific knowledge that emphasizes triangulation and transferability of research with the use of multiple representations of experience. This research investigates critical issues in qualitative research, specifically the ontological challenge that researchers commonly encountered in depicting experience and social reality. The turn to experience and lived stories has expanded the modes of qualitative research by hearing marginalized …

Toward A Culturally Inclusive Canon Of Multimodal Picture Books: Developing Multiliteracies Practices And Assessments For Ontario’S Classrooms, Arwa Jammali

Major Papers

Multimodal picture books are a critical component of children’s literacy development, and in a multicultural province such as Ontario, it is vital that literacy development include cultural literacy. The demographics of the province’s classrooms are increasingly diverse; however, minoritized cultures are underrepresented among teachers, and there are sparse training mandates related to cultural inclusion. Thus, Ontario’s culturally diverse student body is encountering a number of barriers related to gender, ethnicity, perceived race, sexual identity, ability, class, and other social markers. To provide teachers with the tools needed to support their students, the current study utilizes a theoretical framework derived from …

Assessment Of Children As Connected With And Contributing To Their World In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Kate Noble, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review unpacks the concept of connection and contribution from the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), which includes developing a sense of belonging to groups and communities, and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation; responding to diversity with respect; becoming aware of fairness; and becoming socially responsible and showing respect for the environment.

Appropriate Risk With Two And Three Year Olds, Heather Bruno

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The focus of this school improvement plan was to explore existing research and data on the benefits and concerns present when allowing young children to play with toys and natural items in the outdoor environment that expose them to more risk. Based on that information, a plan was made to thoughtfully add some appropriate risky play elements to the outdoor playground at the Iowa State Child Development Laboratory School over the duration of one school year. By adding these elements, opportunities for growth of large motor skills and overall learning and development may occur. To assess growth, two assessment tools …

Play-Based Early Childhood Curriculum And Early Literacy Success Link, Kristi Clark

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review synthesizes research on how play-based learning and early-literacy success are linked. The review shows changes in early childhood education in the 20th Century and how play-based curriculums have affected children’s early literacy success. This literature review cites past studies carried out by influential early childhood theorists. Publish research on this topic reveals strong evidence that children’s literacy is developed through play, particularly when guided and teacher-directed play experiences connect to early literacy in a positive manner.

The Effects On Instructional Conversations On English Language Learners, Elizabeth Hendy, Joshua Cuevas Dr.

Georgia Educational Researcher

This research examined the effectiveness that the Instructional Conversations (ICs) teaching method had on elementary-aged English Language Learning (ELLs) students. Specifically, how ICs impact student academic achievement, academic language usage, and student engagement. The study compared two first grade classrooms, 39 participants, consisting of majority ELL students. The experimental group received math instruction through Instructional Conversation activities while the comparison group was taught using traditional math instruction and centers. After controlling for initial ability in math, results indicated that ICs did not lead to an increase of academic achievement or academic language usage when compared to students taught through traditional …

School-Family Partnerships And Teachers, Parents And Children, Anna L. H. Wieser

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood educators are bound by ethical duty and guided by developmentally appropriate practice to foster opportunities for meaningful parent involvement that contributes to building partnerships with families. However, misalignment of state standards and national expectations send mixed messages about how early childhood educators can effectively engage parents and families and cultivate school-family partnerships. This paper synthesized a collection of quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, meta-synthesis, and meta-analysis studies concerning the relationship between parent involvement, children’s learning and development, and school-family partnerships. The studies examined support the idea that parent involvement was a significant contributor to young children’s learning and development …

Assessment Of Children As Having A Strong Sense Of Identity In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Jen Jackson, Kate Noble, Danielle Anzai, Pru Mitchell, Dan Cloney

Early Childhood Education

This review focuses on the Outcome: Children have a strong sense of identity. Its purpose is to equip early childhood professionals with the knowledge to identify and assess children’s progress towards this Outcome in all early childhood settings. Central to the child’s development of a sense of identity is their personal identity. This includes awareness of self, summed up in the statement: ‘I know who I am’, and includes the constructs of self-expression and self-awareness. A strong sense of identity requires that a child also appreciates who they are, summed up in the statement: ‘I value who I am’. The …

Science In The Early Years: Concept Cartoons As Monitoring Tools. Educator Resource, Australian Council For Educational Research

Early Childhood Education

Cartoons can be used as a way of monitoring children’s developing understanding of concepts (‘concept cartoons’). Cartoons provide a simple narrative in which two or more characters provide commentary or opinions about a phenomenon. The cartoon format is likely to be familiar to children, so is a non-threatening format to present and elicit their thoughts on the opinions provided by the characters. There are four concept cartoons in this resource. Each concept cartoon provides a monitoring tool for finding out how children’s understanding about science concepts is developing. Each cartoon is customised to one of the activities in the educator …

Innovations And Critical Issues In Teaching And Learning Volume 1, Issue 1, 2020

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

Complete text of Innovations and Critical Issues In Teaching and Learning Volume 1, Issue 1, 2020.

Animal Magic, Secret Spells, And Green Power: More-Than-Human Assemblages Of Children's Storytelling, Angela Molloy Murphy

Dissertations and Theses

Early childhood settings have become contested spaces, or sites of struggle, between economic and sociocultural interests disputing their purpose. Recent years have shown increased pressure on children in early education settings to demonstrate predetermined learning outcomes, which (a) limits the scope of what is possible in the classroom, (b) narrows the range of what learning is considered valid, and (c) privileges the experience and values of the dominant culture, thereby determining who and what matters in early childhood settings. Thus, in the current education climate where conventional knowledges are routinely privileged, unconventional knowledges and small stories from children's lives are …

The Importance Of Utilizing Play To Promote Emergent Literacy In Early Childhood Environment, Terisa Scrabeck

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

There is no question that play is important in the lives of children at home and at school. Unfortunately, the amount of play in early childhood classrooms continues to diminish. Teachers are under pressure to meet high academic expectations so they are spending more time on instruction and testing instead of play. Children enjoy play and it improves many different skills, like literacy. Children develop knowledge of literacy as they engage with print. Therefore, literacy can be developed through different types of play, including well-defined enriched literacy play settings and adult role models. The importance of utilizing play to promote …

Measuring Preschool Parents’ Attitudes Towards Science: Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A Parent Version Of The Dimension Of Attitudes Towards Science Instrument., Alexandra E. Adair

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Presently, no measure or theoretical framework exists for preschool parents’ attitudes towards science. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure of preschool parents’ attitudes towards science with a corresponding theoretical framework, as well as explore related constructs. To develop the measure, I adapted Wendt and Rockinson-Szapkiw’s (2017) English translation of van Aalderen-Smeets & Walma van der Molen’s (2013) Dimensions of Science (DAS) scale by making it appropriate for use with preschool parents.

The Preschool Parents Dimensions of Science Scale (PP-DAS) was pilot tested and revised before being administered to 330 preschool parents in the United …

The High Lonesome Sound In Little Voices: The Use Of Appalachian Balladry In The Early Childhood Classroom, Lance Piao

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Although both music and poetry are thoroughly-integrated into the Early Childhood classroom, the ballad, their intersection, has not been studied. Appalachian music features a prominent tradition of balladry, a synthesis of several different music traditions. With the increased interest in Appalachian Studies after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the study of Appalachian custom has become increasingly relevant. From a critical-historical perspective, the ballads, their collection, and their analysis have been used to perpetuate the oppressive structures that have come under increased scrutiny since 2016. This study is a hypothetical curriculum for integrating the study of Appalachian ballads into the Early …

International Early Learning And Child Well-Being Study, Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The International Early Learning and Child Well-Being Study (IELS) assesses children at age 5, measuring key learning and development outcomes. The overall purpose of IELS is to help countries to better support the development and overall well-being of young children through improved early learning experiences. It achieves this by: providing robust empirical data on children’s early learning; identifying factors that enable and inhibit children’s early learning; and informing early childhood education centres and schools about skill levels of five year old children, as well as related contextual factors, which could be used to make more informed decisions about curriculums and …

The Influence Of Publicly Funded Preschool Programs In New Jersey Public School Districts On Student Achievement In Fourth Grade, Stephanie Elizabeth Kuchar

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional study aimed to explain the influence of a school district having a publicly funded preschool program on English language arts and mathematics test results on the New Jersey Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) for fourth graders. The study aimed to provide research-based evidence on the influence of publicly funded preschool programs on a district. The study used focused on the thirty-five (35) New Jersey school districts that had public preschool programs in 2012. The study concluded that consistent student attendance was a significant factor in districts with preschool programs when it …

A Study Of Empathy And Teacher Self-Efficacy Among Preservice Early Childhood Educators, Amy Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study sought to examine empathy and teacher self-efficacy among preservice early childhood teachers. Participants were selected from two courses in East Tennessee State University’s early childhood education program. A total of 18 students from their second year of study and 33 students from their fourth year of study participated. This totaled to 51 participants (92.2 % white, 2% African American and 2% Native American; 96.1% female, 3.9% male). An online survey that contained three sections, background information, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale was sent to the participants. After online surveys were completed, …