Education Commons^™

Closing The Knowledge Gap With Literacy-Infused And Rich Social Studies Content, Jeffrey Leffler, Ksenia Zhbanova

Journal of Research Initiatives

Social studies have been marginalized in early childhood education amid the prevalence of standardized testing and political issues. However, a comprehensive approach to early education, including social studies, is gaining attention. This article emphasizes the significance of incorporating social studies into early childhood curriculum, illuminating its potential to enhance children's cognitive and social-emotional development. The second important aspect of this article focuses on the role of social studies in literacy skill development through building background knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills of young children.

The Contributions Of Executive Functioning To Handwritten And Keyboarded Compositions In Year 2 Children, Debora S. Valcan, Anabela Malpique, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Mustafa Asil, Timothy Teo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Writing is a multifaceted skill, recruiting varied cognitive processes that involve working memory, attention shifting and inhibition, also known as executive functioning (EF). Despite emerging research examining associations between EF and handwritten composition, the mediating role of transcription skills on the relation between EF and text composition remains underexplored. Even less is understood about the nature of these potential mediation mechanisms in keyboard-based text composing, a writing modality that is becoming pervasive during the first years of schooling. This study investigated whether the automaticity of inscription skills (handwriting and keyboarding) and spelling mediate the relation between children's EF and text …

Financial Incentives For Adoption And Kin Guardianship Improve Achievement For Foster Children, David Simon, Aaron Sojourner, Jon Pedersen, Heidi Ombisa Skallet

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Difference-in-differences analysis of linked administrative data estimates effects of a Minnesota policy change that increased the payments to adoptive parents and kin guardians for children ages 6 and older, making them equal to what foster care payments were, but didn’t for younger children. Equalizing payments raised average academic achievement by 31 percent of a standard deviation three years after foster children’s cases started, raised the value of payments by about $2,000 per child during this period, raised the monthly chance of moving from foster care to adoption or kin guardianship by 29 percent, improved school stability, and reduced school suspensions.

Design And Validation Of A Test For Teachers: Measuring Knowledge Of Trauma, Jennifer B. Bilbrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research and interest in trauma-informed pedagogy have grown substantially. Trauma-informed pedagogy includes knowledge of trauma symptoms, associated behaviors, and environmental and instructional trauma-informed strategies. Various scales measure attitudes and experiences with trauma-informed practices; however, the literature suggests a lack of validated tests measuring teachers' knowledge of trauma. Reliable and valid tests measuring knowledge are critical when determining the professional development needs of both pre-service and in-service teachers. This multi-phase study aimed to fulfill this need by creating the Teachers’ Knowledge of Trauma (TKOT) test. With the guidance of literature and qualitative data from eight early childhood professional peers, a 50-item …

The Importance Of Nutrition Education In Early Childhood, Alexi Larios

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project aimed to highlight the importance of nutrition education in early childhood. I chose this topic because studies have shown a steady increase over the years in children’s diet-related illnesses (Baker & Bjerregaard, 2023). Many factors have contributed to this increase such as media and marketing. Companies use their marketing strategies to target the interests of children and persuade them to desire their unhealthy products (Taillie et al., 2019). This strategy leads to children purchasing and consuming processed foods, high in sugar and empty calories. Another important component in childhood nutrition is socioeconomic status. People from lower socioeconomic …

Increasing Social-Emotional Development In Early Childhood, Brianna Navarro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on increasing social-emotional development of 5- to 7-year-old children. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages better comprehend their emotions, feel emotions to the fullest extent, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions, create frameworks to achieve their goals and build positive relationships with others. Researchers indicate that social-emotional learning promotes scholastic achievement, well-being, and positive life outcomes and can be a powerful tool for prevention and resilience when embedded with intentionality in curriculum, instruction, and school climate (Durlak et …

Developing Resiliency Skills Of Preschoolers Through Social-Emotional Behavioral Teaching Practices To Buffer Against Trauma And Increase Child Outcomes, Jill Mastin

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan responds to challenges that preschool teachers face with the growing number of young children in their classrooms who have experienced trauma and exhibit serious, highly disruptive, and dangerous behaviors. All children benefit from early learning experiences that are rich in social-emotional learning. Research has shown that students with well developed emotional literacy, problem solving skills, and self-regulation skills have better outcomes into adulthood compared to peers who struggle with these skills. This school improvement plan aims to provide insight and guidance for Early Childhood Educational Programs by providing intentional professional development to build staff capacity for …

Play Having Its Place In Early Childhood Education, Emily Streicher

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review and school improvement plan focuses on the power of play for early childhood learners. Play is an innate characteristic in humans and various species alike. Despite the overwhelming evidence supporting play for children, academic demands and pressures felt by teachers and administrators are causing play in early childhood settings to be eliminated or reduced. Teachers, along with administrators, play a key part in this. Early childhood research suggests that teachers' beliefs indicate the likelihood of teachers' intentions to develop a child-centered curriculum and pedagogy that meet children's development and needs (Cheung et al., 2022). Ergo, this school …

Using Small Groups To Support Mathematics Learning In Preschool, Katelyn Bradfield

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to gather data on the use of small group learning as a setting for increasing number sense skills for preschool students. The researcher met with a classroom of preschool students over the course of 6 weeks, one week for pre-assessment, four weeks for playing math games in the small group setting, and one week for post-assessment, to implement the intervention. The quantitative research gathered was analyzed to determine whether the addition of small group math time was impactful in increasing student number sense in the areas of 1:1 counting and numeral identification. …

Caregiver And Professional Experiences With Social-Emotional Leaning In The Classroom For Young Children With Inherited Bleeding Disorders: A Phenomenological Study, Christy L. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology is to explore caregivers’ and professionals’ experiences of supporting young children’s social-emotional learning in the classroom and its impact on early education in Western Pennsylvania. The theory guiding this study is Bowlby’s theory on attachment as it focuses on how positive interactions with caregivers boost the psychological health and feelings of security that lead to expansion of positive social-emotional relationships with others. This qualitative research design was completed by interviewing eight caregivers and three professionals of young children with inherited bleeding disorders who are members of the local chapter of the Hemophilia Federation of …

Effects Of Inclusive Prekindergarten Programs On Developmental Skills Of Typically Developing Children, Danita Duhart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 set forth guidelines for inclusionary practices to ensure that students with disabilities were educated with their nondisabled peers. In early childhood education, there was a paucity of information that addressed, in quantifiable terms, the effect of inclusion on the developmental skills of typically developing children. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, nonequivalent study was to examine to what extent the prekindergarten program delivery setting, inclusion versus noninclusion, effects the developmental domains of typically developing children. The theoretical framework was based on Arnold Gesell’s maturational theory of development. The developmental domains for typically …

First- And Second-Grade Teachers’ Use Of Data-Driven Decision-Making For Guided Reading, Caroline J. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in this study was that first- and second-grade teachers are not using relevant and timely data, specifically running records, analysis of oral reading errors, self-correction rates, and word accuracy, as well as the student zone of proximal development (ZPD) in guided reading instruction. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how first- and second-grade teachers use data-driven decision-making (DDDM) and ZPD to inform guided reading instruction. The conceptual frameworks in this study were DDDM and ZPD, as they collectively provided a lens for gathering rich data on instructional decision-making processes. Research questions addressed how first- …

Discipleship: A Biblical Approach And Alignment To The Spirit Of The Ministry At Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program, Ella Louise Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the spiritual practices of early childhood teachers at Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. The research study was designed to develop a professional training program to increase staff effectiveness and alignment with the Spirit of the Ministry traits at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. The program was delivered through a biblically based discipleship and Spirit of the Ministry training program. Through the Bible study, each trait was examined and discussed to solicit adherence to the various traits. During the study, early childhood teachers grew in …

A Meta-Analysis And Quality Review Of Mathematics Interventions Conducted In Informal Learning Environments With Caregivers And Children, Gena Nelson, Hannah Carter, Peter Boedeker, Emma Knowles, Claire Buckmiller, Jessica Eames

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purposes of this study included conducting a meta-analysis and reviewing the study reporting quality of math interventions implemented in informal learning environments (e.g., the home) by children’s caregivers. This meta-analysis included 25 preschool to third-grade math interventions with 83 effect sizes that yielded a statistically significant summary effect (g = 0.26, 95% CI [0.07, 0.45) on children’s math achievement. Significant moderators of the treatment effect included the intensity of caregiver training and type of outcome measure. There were larger average effects for interventions with caregiver training that included follow-up support and for outcomes that were comprehensive early numeracy measures. …

Methods Used In Developing Financial Awareness Among Primary School Children As Perceived By Parents, Lina S. Bashatah Ph.D., Afnan M. Alshahrani

International Journal for Research in Education

The study aimed to identify the methods used to developing financial awareness and the obstacles among children in the primary classes as perceived by parents. Besides, it showed the differences among the sample according to the parent's gender, their educational qualifications, the student's gender, and the school type (public, private). Therefore, the study used the descriptive survey method, and the two researchers developed a questionnaire that was applied to a sample of (357) parents of primary pupils in public and private schools at Abha city. The results showed that experiential learning and storytelling were the methods that sample used with …

Empowering And Educating Parents To Implement A Home Intervention: Effects On Preschool Children's Engagement In Hands-On Constructive Play, Michelle Boulanger Thompson, Yaoying Xu, Chin-Chih Chen, Kathleen Rudasill

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Constructive play is a creative process-oriented activity that promotes children’s engaged learning through building and designing with materials. This study investigated a parent-implemented intervention to promote active engagement in constructive play for preschool-aged children at risk for developmental delay. This study utilized a single-subject multiple-baseline across-participants design with four participants. Visual analysis of the data identified a functional relation between the temporal, physical, and social–emotional environmental support provided by the parents and the children’s active engagement in constructive play. Parents reported the intervention as meaningful to their lives, indicating strong social validity. These findings highlight the importance of centering and …

De+D61:D80signing Bespoke Visual Mediation Tools Using 'Viscourse' For Intergenerational Research Visiblising Pedagogies, Amelia Ruscoe, Penny Baker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Visual methods are an innovative design space for study methodologies with young children. The accessibility of visual media, and flexibility of their design and use, has spurred methodological innovations that stretch the boundaries of intergenerational research. This article explores the visual dialogic nexus in research methods tailored to investigate discourse. The research sought to uncover the perspectives of young children and their teachers about their discursive affordances in the first year of school. Employing an iterative design process, bespoke visual mediation tools were collaboratively created with a visual artist to capture the intergenerational viewpoints of the participants. This article reconceptualises …

Engaging Stakeholders To Inform Policy Developments In Early Childhood Education And Outside School Hours Care, Fay Hadley, Linda J. Harrison, Leanne Lavina, Lennie Barblett, Susan Irvine, Francis Bobongie-Harris, Jennifer Cartmel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The application of engagement strategies to ensure democracy of decisions is increasingly valued and adopted by governments to ensure trust in the process and ownership of the outcome. This paper describes the approach and methods used to engage early childhood education and care (ECEC) and outside school hours care (OSHC) stakeholders in the contemporizing and updating of Australia’s national Approved Learning Frameworks (ALFs): Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) and My Time Our Place: Framework for School Age Care (MTOP). Theoretical underpinnings of a robust stakeholder engagement strategy ensured a range of methods were …

Investigating Early Childhood Education Through A Systemic Lens: What Impact Does Early Childhood Education Have On District Level Leadership, Edward John Manuszak Ii

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Public School educational leaders from around the United States are confronted with choices inhow to invest resources that can create the greatest impact for students. An often-overlooked area of investment is early childhood education. As defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), this is the period of development between birth through age 8 for any child. If a district were allowed to self-assess their own early learning readiness, will the leadership of that district be equipped and prepared to deliberate and make appropriately measured decisions based on current practices and utilized resources? This study seeks …

How Important Is Parental Involvement And Engagement In Preschool, Emilee M. Dixon

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

The purpose of this study was to evaluate preschool classrooms’ parental engagement throughout the school year. Specifically, the study aims to assess if parents felt they received information to support their child's development, if the school offered engagement opportunities, and if the parents believed that engagement impacted their child. Research studies have shown or indicated that parental engagement is a key component to a child’s success. This study highlights the importance of parental involvement and engagement for children in preschool. The study involves reviewing a survey to gain a better understanding of when, how, and why parental involvement and engagement …

Executive Functioning And Self-Regulation Learning In The Early Childhood Years, A Calming Safe Space To Support The Emotional Development Of Young Children., Amy Strunc

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers often serve as a resource for classroom teachers, assistants, parents, paraprofessionals, and administration seeking behavioral guidance. Children need to be equipped with strategies to regulate their emotions before they reach the point of outbursts, elopement, shutdowns, or aggressive behavior. Classroom calm-down spaces are essential for all children to take a break and practice self-regulation, initially learning through co-regulation with teachers. This project aims to provide a framework for providing explicit instruction to children to manage their emotions at the earliest signs of dysregulation, enabling them to remain in the learning zone. The project also …

Exploring Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation For Teaching Social Emotional Skills And Addressing Challenging Behavior, Melissa Yarczower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social emotional development is crucial for all young children. Children who develop age-appropriate social emotional skills engage in positive peer relationships, establish friendship skills, and have competent problem-solving skills. Without adequate social emotional skills, young children are at risk for detrimental long and short-term consequences such as academic failure, exclusionary practices, and school dropout. Interventions and support from well-trained teachers are essential for young children to acquire these skills. Using an explanatory mixed method approach, this study investigated how early childhood (EC) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers were trained to teach social emotional skills and address challenging behavior. …

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice In Early Childhood, Sara Kupzyk, Brenda Bassingthwaite, Adam D. Weaver, Philip D. Nordness Dr.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Young children often present with challenging behaviors such as tantrums, aggression, and noncompliance. Rates of expulsion for behavior concerns in early childhood are alarming and can have long-term negative implications for children and their families (Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, 2022). Implementation of a systematic multi-tiered system of supports framework can improve behavioral outcomes of young children. To effectively meet child and family needs within these frameworks, it is integral for members of the team to collaborate. Interdisciplinary teams within early childhood might include families, teachers, school psychologists, behavior analysts, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other …

A Phenomenological Study Of Early Childhood Teachers’ Lived Experiences And Perceptions Of Their Training In Recognizing Dysgraphia In Young Children, Melonie Daun Boyd Ardoin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of early childhood teachers who are seeking to recognize the warning signs of dysgraphia in young children. The learning disorder known as dysgraphia affects written expression and can affect a student’s academic development, achievements, and self-efficacy. The study was conducted via Zoom at two Oklahoma public schools and one Texas public school. The 12 participants were active early childhood teachers who individually expressed their knowledge and perceptions on the recognition of dysgraphia through a written letter, an interview, and a focus group. One central research question guided …

Gesture And Language In Children Enrolled In Early Intervention, Makenzy S. Turner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Language development in preschool-age children is important, as children with early language delays are at risk for difficulties in other areas such as literacy skills, behavioral skills, and social/emotional skills. Gesture has been found to be linked to language skills in young children. This study examined gesture use and language development in a group of young children receiving early intervention services.

This study found that children with language delays at 24 months used fewer gestures during play. Additionally, gesture use was positively associated with other factors that may influence language, such as parent responsiveness and household income. Furthermore, 24-month child …

Using Head Start Children's Language Development To Predict Social Information Processing Ability, Kendra Newman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As young children grow and develop, gaining social skills and different language abilities is extremely important. As children develop, they also acquire the ability to process social information, which then helps them respond in various social situations. Children should eventually be able to respond to social situations in socially acceptable ways, instead of answering in aggressive or passive ways. This study examined the relations between children’s language development, and social information processing ability. This study included 51 children, from 19 Head Start classrooms. Results showed that at the beginning of the Head Start year children with more language, responded in …

Universal Design For Learning (Udl) In Inclusive Preschool Science Classrooms, Marla J. Lohmann, Katrina A. Hovey, Ariane N. Gauvreau

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Science instruction is a critical aspect of early learning. Teachers can support young children’s learning about scientific concepts through the use of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which is a proactive approach to instructional planning that helps ensure success for all learners. This teaching techniques article offers preschool teachers practical solutions for implementing in the UDL framework for science instruction in their classrooms.

The Lived Experiences Of Student-Parents In Higher Education Who Utilize The Childcare Program At Eastern Community College: A Phenomenological Study, Kindra Lawanda Moore-Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of student-parents who use the Parents for Higher Education program at Eastern Community College. The theory that guided this study was McClusky’s theory of margin, which addresses the support and services adults need to accomplish their goals in life. This framework provided a connection that explained the importance of childcare subsidies and the needs met while attending classes for community college students—the transcendental phenomenology approach used. The setting for this study was the virtual platform Zoom. The study was conducted using 10 participants, all student-parents who participated in the …

Identifying Activities And Skills That Occur In Circle Time: An Action Plan To Engage Students Social-Emotional Learning (Sel) At A Head Start, Priscilla A. Thomas

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Early Childhood Educators’ Readiness Embrace Inclusion For Preschool-Age Children With Disabilities In California, Sachi Kondo, Andrea Golloher, Lisa A. Simpson, Peg A. Hughes

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Despite the push to increase inclusive early childhood (EC) care and education programs to support the learning and development of all children, such programs remain rare in California where most preschoolers with disabilities receive special education services in special day classrooms. Developing inclusive programs requires EC educators who are committed to supporting inclusion. Using a survey of EC teachers in public and private programs, this study sought to identify factors that influenced the teachers’ attitudes toward and self-efficacy for providing inclusive programs for young children with disabilities. While most of the teachers reported positive views of inclusion, they reported less …