Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Exploring The Caregiver-Child Relationship In Institutional Care Facilities In South Sudan, Jennifer Joy Telfer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Institutional care for children separated from parents is expanding in Africa, but little research exists on caregiving at these institutions. This study explores the caregiver-child relationship in two residential institutions in South Sudan by investigating how caregivers experience their role and how children experience their lives in the institution. Semi- structured interviews assessed 14 caregivers’ backgrounds, parenting experience, attitudes, education, and motivations. The Orphans and Vulnerable Children Wellbeing Tool (OWT) assessed 98 adolescent residents, who also gave feedback about their answers. Caregivers employ parenting styles used by their parents and report treating non-relative children the same as biological children. Children …

See Me Shine: Developing Character Through Books For Children Ages 3-6, Shelley Oakley, Rachel Schwedt, Janice Delong

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selecting books for the preschooler and beginning reader that engage the young audience and yet teach values that parents and educators desire is an elusive task. This first volume of the See Me Shine series offers reading recommendations focusing on distinct character traits such as caring, courage, responsibility and more for ages 3 to 6. Each character trait offers 20+ book recommendations, as read-aloud or independent reading, and each recommendation includes a description of each title, critique, awards, list of related subjects, and the distinct character themes demonstrated in the text. Whether your role is one of parent, grandparent, guardian, …

Role Model Stories That Unite Children Of Oaxacan Immigrants, Erica Juarez Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Through my internship at Castroville Library Homework Center I endure power by telling stories to unite with children of Oaxacan immigrants while helping them with homework. Dacher Keltner power principles helped me have a trusting communication to learn the success and struggles in the children of Oaxacan immigrant’s education.

Creating A Multiracial Lesson Plan, Clayton Davis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to teach students about multiracial identity issues. Multiracial populations in the U.S. continue to grow and it’s important for educators to address the needs of these students. A 5-E multiracial literature lesson plan was created for second grade that incorporates KWL and Text-to-World teaching strategies. A second grade class were read two children’s picture books, each featuring a biracial protagonist, and were asked to discuss and evaluate the content and commonalities of these stories. Students recorded what they learned in this lesson in their KWL’s. The results reveal that some students understood the problems …

Innovation And Controversy In Children’S Literature, Sean Ferrier-Watson, Madeline Keck, Danielle Sullivan, Hannah Hightower, Kathryn Forshee

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Student presenters: Madeline Keck, Danielle Sullivan, Hannah Hightower, and Kathrun Foshee

Our panel will focus on various issues related to children’s literature and will use research from reputable literary, education, and psychology journals. We will examine issues dealing with fairy tales, YA novels, and comic books and will explore a wide range of social issues. The panelists each have a different topic and focus on different primary sources and secondary research.

'You Become A Rock': Conceptions Of Motherhood And Lessons Of Race As Told And Photographed By Four Mothers From Cape Town, South Africa, Kaitlin Abrams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will discuss conceptions of motherhood and lessons of racial identity through the lens of four women from Cape Town, South Africa. Utilizing both semi-structured interviews and photovoice, stories of motherhood are told as a journey from childhood to adulthood, in which one’s experience of being mothered influences decisions in current motherhood. In interviews, mothers pinpoint conceptions of good motherhood that encompass both financial support for one’s children and attentiveness, informed mostly by one’s race and class background. Additionally, experiences surrounding discrimination and silencing in childhood differ between races, later informing the way that mothers chose to share lessons …

Exploring Diversity, Citizenship, And Gender Through Jazz: A Narrative Criticism Of I Am Jazz, Mary Beth Jones

Northwest Communication Association Conference Papers & Presentations

In this study, a narrative analysis of a children’s picture book was conducted to uncover how young audiences are taught about diversity and inclusion through books. The setting, characters, narrator, and target audiences of the 2014 book I am Jazz were evaluated to decipher how readers are educated about transgenderism and diversity in greater context. Specific rhetorical qualities in the visual and written elements emphasize the importance of diversity, uniqueness, individuality, and acceptance. This particular book has created a range of support and protest since its publication, and it is an important example of the emotional and political power of …

Treble In The Environment: Incorporating Music Into Environmental Education, Shinara Sunderlal

Pitzer Senior Theses

In this era where global sustainability is challenged, environmental education plays a vital role in building environmental awareness. Other roles of environmental education include the promotion of responsible citizenship and the fostering of environmental advocacy in children. As a way to strengthen these goals of environmental education, this thesis explores the dynamic uses of music to compound on the fields impact. I argue that the benefits of music outlined suggest music’s power to heighten environmental sensitivity from a young age. I use narratives from the environmental education, music, education, and psychology discourses to demonstrate the theoretical advantages of music in …

Physical Miseducation: How Public Schooling In The Us Is Harmful To Students’ Bodily Well-Being, Rachel Fredericks

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper explores the history of physical education in the United States, as well as a general look into how public schooling affects how kids learn about and come to view their bodies. Theory and research by Michel Foucault, Elias Norbert, and Katy Bowman form the theoretical framework for this essay, and accounts of visits to a local elementary school to observe PE also grounds the work in present-day experiences. The work concludes that public schools in the US improperly teach students about how to listen to and care for their bodies.

Understanding The Expressive Cartoon Drawings Of A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michael S. Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the highly expressive comic drawings of Amy, a child with autism. This study connects larger fields of research: the study of how people with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] process faces and emotions; and, research about artists with ASD. Amy's understanding of emotion was analyzed by asking her to view and identify humans and cartoon characters expressing different emotions. Her ability to illustrate emotion is tested by asking her to respond to various drawing prompts. The study concluded that Amy has difficulty identifying the emotions of humans and cartoons, but she does have the ability to illustrate …

A Case For Theatre-Based Programming In Early-Childhood And Elementary Education, Tina M. La Plant

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper seeks to answer the question, How can I use my professional experience developing a theatre-based curriculum for early-childhood and elementary students as a platform to advocate for the importance of theatre-based curricula in early and elementary education? The subject of this research project is a Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade theatre-based education program founded by the author. The program was developed over the past 20 years at the Bertschi School, an independent PK-Fifth elementary school located in Seattle, Washington. For the purposes of this paper, the program itself will serve as a proving ground to explore and define primary …

Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies To Improve Early Elementary Comprehension Skills, Deborah S. Cirincione

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information to educators about teaching strategies used in the classroom. The researcher opened up a survey to Early Elementary Reading teachers so
they can provide their input in an anonymous manner so as to get as much information as possible so others can find this narrative, qualitative research useful in their careers. The writer researched scholarly and peer-reviewed journals, as well as, commonly used resources such as government websites to acquire and report recent practices of early elementary reading strategies used in classrooms. The study was of qualitative nature, and the survey was …

Music And Words: Connecting The Love Of Music With Language, Eileen P. Kennedy, Raymond Torres- Santos

Publications and Research

Children from different cultures have a natural affinity for rhymes, rhythm and music. Imagine if students were able, from the beginning of their education and experiences with academic writing and literacy, to access their unconscious and original selves from which to create their writing. The study of music can help to access this aware, inventive side that can enhance anyone’s writing. As an early childhood writing teacher and a composition teacher, we draw on our experiences with young children with words and music. We examine the relationship between music and words in an effort to bring the primitive drive of …

Outside Classroom: Unstructured Outdoor Play In Early Childhood Education, Valerie Lockhart

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study examines the benefits of unstructured outdoor play in early childhood education through the lens of an original children's book and correlative research.

My Backpack : A Children's Book About Separation, Susan B. Bloch

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis opens with a copy of "My Backpack," a fictional book based on actual events to be read to children between the ages of three and four years prior to their entry to preschool and as a support during the separation process during the first weeks and months of school. The author then continues with an explanation of the genesis of the book, a developmental section incorporating theorists' views on separation for children ages 3 and 4, children's reactions and responses to the book, and a review of other valuable books on separation.

Nsu Early Literacy And Reading Education Curriculum 2016, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Investigating Profiles Of Lexical Quality In Preschool And Their Contribution To First Grade Reading, Kimberly A. Murphy

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This longitudinal study investigated profiles of lexical quality domains in preschool children and the extent to which profile membership predicted reading comprehension in first grade. A latent profile analysis was conducted to classify 420 preschool children on lexical quality domains, including orthography, phonology, morphosyntax, and vocabulary. Regression analysis was used to determine whether profile membership was associated with first grade outcomes across reading comprehension and its components (i.e., listening comprehension and word recognition). Results revealed five profiles of lexical quality which were predictive of all three outcomes in first grade. Children in low lexical quality profiles performed more poorly on …

The Relationship Between Comprehension Of Descriptive And Sequential Expository Texts And Reader Characteristics In Typically Developing Kindergarten Children, Cheran Zadroga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found that children need to be proficient in reading and writing expository text to succeed academically as well as in their future careers. More than ever before, children in primary grade classrooms are being exposed to and expected to comprehend a variety expository text types. However, empirical evidence to support the use of expository texts in kindergarten classrooms, in particular, is sorely lacking. To begin to fill this gap, this study was conducted to investigate kindergarten children's comprehension of two types of expository text structures (i.e., descriptive and sequential) commonly found in kindergarten classrooms. Specifically, the aims of …

Observations Of Music And Literacy In Early Childhood Education, Ann Strom

Honors Program Theses

Students spend as many as nineteen years in a classroom by the time they are twenty-two. They have countless teachers who all teach in a different style and say that it is the best way for their students to learn. Students have experienced classrooms where they are given a lecture for an hour and then expected to know and understand the content when the test comes. They have also experienced classrooms where they are up and moving, creating models, doing research, or conducting experiments, throughout the class to come to an understanding to share with their peers on the topic …

Creating Environmental Education For Children: Focusing On The Vigo County/Terre Haute Community, Jordanna Bilyeu

University Honors Program

This study is an attempt to create an action plan to improve environmental education for children within a community. It evaluates the reach and sophistication of this type of education that currently exists in the Vigo County/Terre Haute community, diagnoses weaknesses in the system, and finds ways to develop it. Data was collected through surveys given to elementary school teachers in Vigo County Public schools, interviewing community educators, making onsite visits to educational locations, online research, and speaking with political figures. Environmental education lacks sophistication in schools and can be improved through hands-on, sustainability standards and resources. Community sources outside …

An Invitation To Rethinking Early Childhood Learning Spaces : Museums As Young Learners' Classrooms, Charissa Ruth

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Many museums are now offering more opportunities and incorporating services to encourage families with young children to explore and enjoy museums. One of these opportunities is the creation of preschools located in or as part of museums. The author focuses on two institutions to provide a picture of how the museum preschool experience has been shaped to fit the institution.

Folk Music : Connecting Young Children And Their Families To American Roots, Liana Stampur

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper will uncover the similarities between American folk music and Central and South American songs of revolution as a way to connect new immigrants to American culture.

How Does Your Garden Grow: How Planting Seeds Of Hope Inspire A Community Of Gifted African-American Learners To Flourish In An Early Childhood Setting, Danielle Elaine Macneal-Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested"

-African Proverb

Each day, African-American children are rarely given the opportunity to reach their full potential and flourish in American school systems. There continues to be a disparity in the number of African-Americans in the gifted population. When identified early, and with appropriate educational opportunities, young, culturally diverse gifted learners will be more likely to have long-term educational success. By utilizing an educational criticism methodology, this study discusses the importance of gifted education for African-American, early childhood students, by answering the question, how does The Hope …

Combining Qualitative Research Perspectives And Methods For Critical Social Purposes The Neoliberal U.S. Childhood Public Policy Behemoth, Michelle Salazar Perez, Gaile S. Cannella, Cinthya M. Saavedra

Mexican American Studies Faculty Publications

This article discusses the broad-based use of bricolage to examine the neoliberal childhood policy discourses and forms of implementation that are currently practiced in the United States. Diverse, traditionally marginalized understandings such as Black feminist thought, Chicana feminism, and feminist analysis of capitalist patriarchy are combined with a Deleuze/Guattarian critique of capitalism and qualitative methods of situational analyses. We do this to identify childhood assemblages within the childhood public policy behemoth in the United States and compare these assemblages to capitalism more broadly, including how neoliberal practices are facilitated.

Laboratory: Where Science Becomes Art, Amy Norton, Madeline Carpenter, Colton Weeks, Jae Lim

P-12 Lesson Plans

This is group of lessons for K-12 art classroom is connected to the artists in the ZMA exhibition Laboratory, on view November 14, 2014 - February 21, 2015. The exhibition worked to demystify artistic practice by revealing parallels between art and scientific research and methodology. These associated lessons include scientific concepts and principles paired with art.

Storytelling And Play As A Way To Help Children And Adults Internalize The Values Of Environmental Awareness, Sana (Janet) Ehehosi

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis is an empirical study to find out if storytelling can be used as a tool to develop environmental and ecological awareness in an early childhood program. It also discusses the importance oral storytelling has on the language and neurocognitive development of children and why it is important to the development of literacy skills.

The Teacher In The Studio, Molly Alexander

Graduate Student Independent Studies

As a potter and teacher, the author connected her practice in the studio to her practice in the classroom by designing and creating cups for the two-year-old children she teaches. This thesis includes visual documentation of the author's design and production process, an analysis of theory and research, and a personal reflection.

Another New Teacher : A Children's Book And Teacher's Guide To Addressing Teacher Change, Cheyenne M. Gleason

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A children's picture book which explores the topic of teacher change during the school year. The purpose of this book is to open up a space for conversation around teacher change in classrooms that experience a change in the teaching staff mid-year.

Reflexiones Sobre Lenguaje, Cultura Y Equidad En La Enseñanza De Matemáticas En Una Escuela Primaria Bilingüe De Estados Unidos, Sandra I. Musanti, Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis, Mary E. Marshall

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Esta investigación cualitativa explora las prácticas y percepciones de dos maestras (K-1), así como los asuntos de equidad implícitos en la integración curricular de problemas de matemáticas contextualizados para adecuar la enseñanza de estudiantes latinos que están aprendiendo inglés como segunda lengua. Este estudio se basa en tres enfoques: el enfoque cognitivo guiado de la enseñanza de matemáticas, el lenguaje y la cultura como recursos pedagógicos, y la enseñanza de matemáticas para la equidad. La investigación se desarrolla en el contexto de una iniciativa de desarrollo profesional situado entre maestras bilingües e investigadoras en una escuela primaria del suroeste de …

Beatrice The Butterfly Visits The New York Public Library, Gail Goldspiel

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This original work of children's literature tells the story of Beatrice, a young butterfly who explores the 42nd Street New York Public Library with a class. Intended for children in grades K-3, this book serves as a first introduction to the library and can be read by parents, teachers, and librarians.