Education Commons^™

Social Emotional Learning And Literacy In The Primary Grades: An Integrated Approach, Kaitlynn Cline

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is essential to school success. This capstone was developed around the guiding question: How can primary grade level teachers teach Social Emotional Learning skills as an integrated approach through literacy? There are a number of SEL curricula available to educators, some of which have had a greater impact than others. There have also been a large number of policy changes in the United States related to academic achievement and standards that have impacted what is taught in the early years of elementary education. This capstone explored SEL curricula that are currently used, policies that have impacted …

Nature Play For Urban Elementary Preschoolers: Benefits To Their Development And Connectedness To The Environment, Sharon Smith-Lossiah

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project identified how nature-based activities can be integrated into nature play for preschoolers that are located at urban elementary schools. In a world that is becoming

increasingly disconnected from nature, there is a growing body of evidence which shows the life- long implications for preschoolers to their cognitive, social-emotional, and physical growth and

development with daily exposure to nature based activities. The literature review for this study defined nature play, its benefits and how it can be incorporated in an urban elementary school. It identified the benefits and barriers that preschool teachers have when providing nature play opportunities at …

Supporting Early Childhood Students’ Communication Skills Within The Classroom, Emma Creger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed by this project is What teaching strategies are recommended for early childhood teachers to implement into their practice to support all students’ communication skill development? The purpose of this exploration is to identify effective strategies for early childhood classroom teachers to reference and utilize when supporting their student’s communication skills. This project reviews studies conducted by well-known researchers in the field of childhood development and references professionals within the field of Speech and Language Pathology in order to create a digital resource compiling receptive and expressive communication strategies to be used with early childhood students. The …

Reconnecting Young Children With Nature For Healthy Growth And Development, Suzanne Schiffman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project seeks to answer the question of how early childhood educators can help their young students build connections with nature. The literature review for this study focused on educators’ knowledge of child development as it relates to environmental education and outdoor play; curriculum planning, implementing and assessment using Minnesota state standards and developmentally appropriate practices; availability and accessibility of natural play spaces; and environmental literacy of educators. The project is divided into two parts consisting of three interactive slideshow presentations for professional development and three sets of educational support materials. This capstone is relevant for administrators and early childhood …