Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 16 of 16

Full-Text Articles in Education

School Improvement Plan, Taylor Anderson Jul 2021

School Improvement Plan, Taylor Anderson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students in schools display a variety of behaviors. Some of these behaviors being negative, and some of these behaviors being positive. This school improvement plan will give you a small glimpse at a Title 1 elementary school with a goal of decreasing the amount of times a student has to be removed from the classroom, or receives a first responder call. A first responder call is when an adult in the building has to call for additional adult support due to a student's behaviors. This project will start with a literature review of multiple articles discussing social skills, and the …


Increasing Student Participation In Elementary Physical Education, Andrea K. Garcia Jul 2021

Increasing Student Participation In Elementary Physical Education, Andrea K. Garcia

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of Technology On Reading Fluency In A First Grade Summer School Classroom, Bailey A. Kennedy Jul 2021

The Effects Of Technology On Reading Fluency In A First Grade Summer School Classroom, Bailey A. Kennedy

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if the technology app EPIC! is more effective in helping first-grade students increase their oral reading fluency skills compared to a teacher-assisted, non-technological intervention. Before the interventions began, the students completed three oral timed reading passages at the first-grade level by FASTbridge. This score was used as a baseline for the data. The intervention lasted for two weeks. The experimental group completed stories on the application EPIC! for 15 minutes each session, while the control group completed research based educational games with the researcher. Both were done in addition to …


Collaboration During Writing In A First Grade Classroom, Kathryn Av Schafer Jul 2021

Collaboration During Writing In A First Grade Classroom, Kathryn Av Schafer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to discover if providing students with a collaboration intervention would increase the times they chose to work with a peer and if they found the collaboration beneficial. The participants were sixteen students from one first grade classroom in a midwestern city. This study included quantitative data to determine the impact of the intervention. The researcher tallied if students chose to ask a teacher for help or collaborate with a peer. Students completed reflection forms stating if the help was beneficial. The results do not reveal a significant difference between whom the students ask for …


Academic Advantages Of Increased Classroom Movement In Kindergarten, Elizabeth Hill Jul 2021

Academic Advantages Of Increased Classroom Movement In Kindergarten, Elizabeth Hill

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Modern kindergarten classrooms are academically rigorous learning environments with high expectations placed on young learners. Oftentimes, these students still receive an education based on traditional instructional strategies that no longer benefit and challenge young learners appropriately. This literature review examines the academic benefits of intentional classroom movement, kinesthetic learning, brain breaks and the impact they have on learning in the kindergarten setting. This literature review presents peer reviewed research studies conducted within the last ten years that investigate the most advantageous methods of movement incorporation in the classroom. The findings of this literature review conclude that, by increasing classroom movement, …


Incorporating Physical Activity Breaks Before Math Improves Students Overall On-Task Behavior, Larissa Surprenant Jul 2021

Incorporating Physical Activity Breaks Before Math Improves Students Overall On-Task Behavior, Larissa Surprenant

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study will focus on incorporating physical activity before math into a Kindergarten classroom, to help improve on-task behavior. The study was conducted over a four-week period in one Kindergarten classroom. Data was collected to determine if physical activity or brain breaks help improve students' on-task behavior during the math mini-lesson. Two weeks consisted of the students not receiving the brain break/physical activity intervention and the next two weeks consisted of implementing the brain break/physical activity intervention. After the four-week trial, students showed increased on-task behavior after completing the brain break/physical activity. The conclusion stated …


Comparison Of Play-Based Learning Versus Worksheets In English Language Arts Growth, Erin Wiskus Jul 2021

Comparison Of Play-Based Learning Versus Worksheets In English Language Arts Growth, Erin Wiskus

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research is to compare the data of kindergarten student’s growth in ELA (English Language Arts) through the use of play-based learning strategies against students who utilize worksheets as part of their instruction in order to determine if one instructional method is more effective than the other in demonstrating academic growth in English Language Arts. One group of students participated in play-based learning strategies while the other group utilized worksheets as an extension of learning. Both groups were given weekly pretests and posttests in the areas of: letter identification, CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words, digraphs, and …


Science In The Elementary Classroom, Melissa Birkey Jul 2021

Science In The Elementary Classroom, Melissa Birkey

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The elementary school day is filled with many different aspects of learning. Math and reading have been the emphasis of teaching over the last decade. Science is a part of students learning that needs to find its way into the elementary school day. This literature review compares different curriculum that is used to teach science in the elementary classroom as well as discusses an effective use of time to implement science into the daily schedule. When considering when and how to teach science, some teachers incorporate into other curricular areas as others find its own time during the day. Multiple …


Social-Emotional Learning And Educator Implementation, Jennifer Grossman Apr 2021

Social-Emotional Learning And Educator Implementation, Jennifer Grossman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review explores social and emotional learning in the elementary classroom and how educators can help support students to be academically successful. Social and emotional learning is critical to students and their success in the classroom. Social and emotional learning is defined and interventions are explained. This literature review will explore educator support, implementation, interventions, and academic achievement. Three social and emotional learning interventions are explored. The interventions are imperative in the success of every student. An analysis of social and emotional learning interventions suggests that students are academically more successful if they receive social and emotional learning interventions. …


Action Research Project: Using Mobymax To Increase Student's Fact Fluency, Brooke Faber Apr 2021

Action Research Project: Using Mobymax To Increase Student's Fact Fluency, Brooke Faber

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was pursued by the researcher's inquisitiveness about math fact fluency specifically using the technological platform MobyMax Fact Fluency to help boost student's fact fluency. The researcher is a first-grade teacher in her 8th year of teaching. The whole class of 17 students were a part of the class-wide research study. The five-week study examined the use of technology in the classroom. Specifically, the use of MobyMax Fact Fluency to determine if students showed growth in their fact fluency knowledge. Throughout the study, students were progress monitored every two weeks. The data suggests that with the implementation of …


The Impact Of Station Rotations In 2nd Grade Reading, Rebecca Draayer Apr 2021

The Impact Of Station Rotations In 2nd Grade Reading, Rebecca Draayer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Selecting a classroom approach which engages students and prepares them for success can be challenging for teachers. Educators have to take into account resources available for instruction as well as the demographics of their classroom. This action research study followed second grade students over a four-month period in a reading classroom that utilized the station rotation approach of blended learning. The reason for selecting the station rotation model of blended learning was to improve students' reading scores. It was a goal of this action research to see if a more active approach to teaching would help improve student reading skills. …


Phonics: The Breaking Apart Of Words To Help All Children Learn To Read, Eliza Rogotzke Apr 2021

Phonics: The Breaking Apart Of Words To Help All Children Learn To Read, Eliza Rogotzke

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was driven by the researcher’s interest in phonics based instruction to help children learn to read. Specifically, using the PRESS phonics intervention to help meet the needs of each individual learner in the experimental classroom. The researcher, a first grade teacher in her fourth year of teaching, studied her students participation in the PRESS phonics intervention. The four week intervention was conducted using the students’ fluency and early reading skills to analyze the effectiveness of the PRESS phonics intervention. Throughout the four weeks, oral reading fluency along with decodable word fluency was monitored and all progress …


Math Fact Fluency Instruction, Kelsey Nickel Apr 2021

Math Fact Fluency Instruction, Kelsey Nickel

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review investigates the purpose and importance of math facts instruction at the elementary level. Being able to know basic math facts both fluently and accurately is the foundation of mathematics education. There has been research showing the lack of math facts knowledge for the students in the United States compared to their peers in other countries. Math curriculum does not focus on math facts instruction enough to achieve mastery without the use of supplemental strategies. There has been research done on the strategies to study the effectiveness. These strategies include rote memorization strategies, computer assisted instruction, educational games, …


Evidence-Based Best Practices For Kindergarten Reading, Rachel Dolehanty Apr 2021

Evidence-Based Best Practices For Kindergarten Reading, Rachel Dolehanty

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review aims to highlight evidence-based best practices for kindergarten reading instruction. Popular reading curriculums and instructional cueing strategies are discussed in relation to their effectiveness for kindergarten reading success. Meaning-emphasis versus code- emphasis reading curriculum philosophies are explored, and specific curriculums that fall into these categories are discussed. Metacognition strategies and their relation to successful reading instruction are underscored. Interventions are examined in the areas of kindergarten phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, and writing. Successful interventions in each of these areas of literacy instruction are highlighted through current research.


The Impact Of A Classroom Calm Down Corner In A Primary Classroom, Clairissa Thompson Apr 2021

The Impact Of A Classroom Calm Down Corner In A Primary Classroom, Clairissa Thompson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Teachers use social-emotional learning (SEL) practices to help teach students strategies to self-regulate inside the classroom. The practice of mindfulness is an SEL strategy that can be implemented through the use of a classroom calm-down corner to help classroom behaviors. This action research studied the impact of a calm down corner in the primary classroom. Participants included the researcher's class of 23 second-grade students. Students participated in daily mini-lessons for strategies to use in the calm down corner. Data was collected on student behavior and usage of the calm down corner through observations. Negative student behaviors decreased as a result …


Bring Them To Class: The Impact Of Art On Students' Ability To Self-Regulate In A Choice-Based Elementary Art Classroom, Rebecca Ortner Apr 2021

Bring Them To Class: The Impact Of Art On Students' Ability To Self-Regulate In A Choice-Based Elementary Art Classroom, Rebecca Ortner

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This study investigates the relationship between art making in the elementary classroom and fourth-grade students' ability to self-regulate when experiencing a heightened or low state of arousal. The study included the research question "Is time spent creating art following choice-based expectations an effective intervention for students who experienced a heightened state of arousal (red zone or yellow zone) prior to beginning class?" Students' states of arousal were self-indicated through Zones of Regulation check-ins at the beginning, middle and end of class. Additional data was recorded through students' observations and student surveys. The analysis showed students who entered the classroom in …