Education Commons^™

Childhood Disability: Challenges And Theory-Informed Child Life Interventions In The Healthcare Setting, Fatema-Zahra Jaffer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Children with intellectual, sensory, physical, and/or speech disabilities encounter a proliferation of challenges in the healthcare environment. Such challenges are exacerbated by insufficient knowledge in doctors, nurses, child life specialists, and other healthcare providers in bias-free and specialized healthcare delivery. To remedy this, pertinent methods informed by theoretical perspectives of atypical development that ameliorate stress and augment coping in children with disabilities are warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this independent study is to provide a synthesis of the literature that chronicles this topic. Multifarious child life interventions that are premised on contemporary developmental frameworks of childhood disability will be presented. …

A Reason To Read: Discovering A Purpose For Books Through Play, Sara Russell Dewey

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Children need desire and motivation to learn. This study examines the responsive, child- centered teaching practices of a reading and literacy specialist as she helps a student, with low motivation for reading, find a reason to want to read. Although her student is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and aspects of autism come up in this study, the focus here is not on teaching children with autism. Since no two children with a diagnosis present similarly, teaching to a diagnosis is not individualized or sensitive enough to meet the educational and emotional needs of a student. Instead, teachers must …

Reading Emotions: Designing Digital Tools To Strengthen The “Social Brain” Of Young Children With Autism, Kirsten M. Benjamin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Autism (ASD) is characterized by impaired development in social interaction and communication. This can affect the ability to develop relationships with peers and family. Being limited in this area leads those with Autism unable to translate their own emotions and the emotions of others. As technology develops, so do methods of teaching facial emotion recognition. Building these skills can increase the social communication abilities of those struggling with Autism. This paper will explore the effectiveness of various educational applications (apps).

Taking the lessons gained from previous iPhone application designs I will attempt to create a new application that incorporates the …

Elements At Play: Influences Of Gender On Play In Single-Sex Settings, Elizabeth "Lily" Geiger

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis will examine the ways that gender impacts dramatic play in early childhood classrooms by analyzing experiences in two single-sex school environments. The paper will review past and present literature as it pertains to the general topics of play and gender and pose insights about the role that both play in single-sex classrooms. It will also take into consideration the various gendered elements of our world and the impact of our social environments. The aim of the paper is not to propose next steps for gender education, but to examine current work through descriptions and observations in two classroom …

How To : An Original Picture Book For Children, Morgan Wright

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study was focused on the creation of an original, social-emotionally oriented “how to” picture and poetry book for children ages five through seven. A wide variety of books for children, from old classics to recent publications, deal with themes relevant to children’s social-emotional lives. However, many of these books are written in narrative fiction form, or are framed using a logical, adult-centered lens. The goal of this book project was to create poetry and illustrations which authentically conveyed the unique emotional textures and roundabout logic of childhood associated with everyday experiences. Child development research included cognitive and emotional …

Learner-Centered Nature Walks, Heather Van Der Grinten

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Learner-Centered Nature Walks details the research of Heather van der Grinten in supplementing Junior Ranger Walks with a learner-centered mindset. The approach was intended to reflect her personal growth as a museum educator, demonstrate the viability of the Bank Street praxis of progressive education in an environmental education setting, and highlight potential growth for future Junior Ranger lesson-planning. The methodology involved experimenting with lesson plans, keeping a detailed reflection journal, and asking for voluntary feedback from peers, supervisors, and participants from June to September 2018. The samples of student work as shown in Appendix A and B were …

Supporting Therapy In The Classroom : Strategies For Occupational, Speech/Language, And Physical Therapy, Laure Elise Recoder

Graduate Student Independent Studies

With so many developmental differences early in life, it is important for early childhood educators to be just as supportive as therapists, and possibly more so, because they spend more time with children. This guide is intended for early childhood educators working with young children who receive services in occupational therapy, speech- language therapy, and/or physical therapy. When children receive therapy services, they are often removed from the classroom setting and are seen privately by a therapist, or with a small group, in a separate room. However, intervention strategies are also effective when implemented in the child’s natural environment, such …

Designing Sport Specific Physical Fitness Programs For Students With Developmental Variations, Brian Levine

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This research examined existing options for students with disabilities in the realm of organized physical activity. Findings suggest that children with physical disabilities resulting in wheelchair use and students with the cognitive disability Autism Spectrum Disorder, referred to in this paper as ASD, have limited access to organized physical activity programs, after school sport programs, and physical education. This paper explores the importance of participation in sport for all children, the various barriers to participation for children with disabilities, and the effect on inclusive physical education and organized physical activity for all students. Finally, this paper provides recommendations on how …