Early Childhood Education Commons^™

A Tree Study Curriculum For Second Grade, Deborah Blankman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A TREE STUDY: For Second Grade, was designed to give students the opportunity to experience and explore first-hand the life cycle of a particular tree in Central Park. Trees are a natural topic for young students to study. They are part of the basic life cycle here on earth. Children are familiar with them having seen or been around them since birth. In my case, because of my school's close proximity to Central Park, the students had the luxury of being able to basically go out in their own backyard any time they wanted a first hand view of what …

Effective Strategies For Emergent Readers: Practical Ideas For Everyday Reading With Your Child, Kristin Claire Williams

All Graduate Projects

Three workshops, supported by research in the areas of parent-school involvement, family literacy, the development of the reading process, and reading strategies, were developed. Each workshop provides families with specific reading activities and strategies to use at home. The intent of this author is to provide valid research to demonstrate that learning to read involves the semantic, syntactic, and grapho-phonic cueing systems.

Early Childhood Thematic Unit: A 32-Week Curricular Resource: Fairy Tales - Insects - Dinosaurs, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Morning Message : Bringing Interactive Writing To Life In A Kindergarten Classroom, Kay M. Hoffman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this article is to inform the reader of one way of implementing interactive writing into a kindergarten classroom, which is through the use of morning message. Interactive writing means different things to different people and my interpretation will be discussed throughout the article. I will share where I have been as a teacher of young children as well as some of the things I have learned along this invigorating journey.

Emergent Writing Practices For A Kindergarten Classroom: A Handbook For Kidergarten Teachers, Tori Lyn Bennan

All Graduate Projects

A handbook has been developed to aid in the design of a kindergarten writing program and/or to be used as a supplement to any existing kindergarten writing curriculum. The handbook consists of four main content areas of discussion regarding current writing practices used in a kindergarten writing curriculum: Writer's Workshop, journals, partner writing, and parent involvement. Each section consists of a brief definition of the term and five distinctive lesson plans implementing the above practices. Current literature and research regarding the topic of young children's development in writing were explored.

A Comparative Analysis Of Early Childhood Education In Kenya And The United States Of America : Kenya's Social And Economic Constraints, Peter Kibet Koech

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined Early Childhood Education in Kenya and the United States of America. The development of Early Childhood Education in Kenya was discussed through detailed analysis of social and economic constraints. Conclusions were drawn from the available literature; also, suggestions and relevant recommendations were made to help improve Early Childhood Education in Kenya.

Using Wordless Picture Books To Stimulate Fictional Writing In First-Grade Students, Kathryn Nicol Morris

Graduate Research Papers

The use of wordless picture books was a successful strategy as an adult intervention for helping students at different levels in their writing ability to produce a story that followed a logical progression of events; that had a clear beginning, middle and end; and that described a character's experiences to a point of conclusion. This was accomplished with varying degrees of teacher assistance required. The stories from these students showed some similarities, but each student brought some unique element to the writing. The stories were distinguishable, even though the text in each story was inspired by the same set of …

Using Computer Software To Enhance Instruction Of Early Literacy Skills In The Kindergarten Classroom, Janann Dostal

Graduate Research Papers

This review investigates skills vital to early literacy instruction, technology use in early childhood classrooms, and software available to enhance early literacy skills of kindergarten students. Letter naming, phonological awareness, concepts about print, and language development are early literacy skills vital to a student's future reading success. Studies have shown that technology has been used in early childhood classrooms as an effective teaching tool, to promote active student involvement, and as a tool for motivation, showing that computers can be utilized successfully with young students. Research indicates that early literacy software used to supplement teacher instruction has great potential to …

Comparison Of A Basal Reading Program To A Basal Reading Program With Supplemental Phonics Using Incremental Development And Continuous Distributed Review, Michelle C. Barry

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine whether students taught using the McGraw-Hill Reading program (non-supplemental group) and students taught using McGraw-Hill Reading supplemented with Saxon Phonics (supplemental group) demonstrated performance differences as measured by classroom-administered reading and spelling tests from the McGraw-Hill Reading Series. Overall, the results of this study revealed a limited number of differences between the supplemental and non-supplemental group. The supplemental group performed significantly better than the non-supplemental group on Unit 6 decoding. Higher-level readers in the supplemental group performed significantly better than higher-level readers in the non-supplemental group on Unit 4 spelling. The supplemental group performed …

Divorce: A Teacher's Perspective On How It Affects Primary Age Children And Their Behavior In An Elementary School Setting, Reina Moriah Beere-Kuklinski

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Indiana Public School Superintendents' Perceptions Of Literature Based Reasons For Implementing Full Day Kindergarten, Scott Daniel Hanback

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to compare superintendents' perceptions of their reasons for implementing full day kindergarten in their schools based on twenty-seven literature based elements relative to corporation location, size, and socio-economic status. These twenty-seven elements of full day kindergarten were clustered into three independent categories: student learner benefit, social adjustment benefit, and school corporation community benefit. The population for this study was the 115 Indiana Public School Superintendents that implement full day kindergarten in their schools. The superintendents were surveyed to glean their perception as to how important the twenty-seven literature based elements were in their decision …

A Neighborhood Curriculum For Kindergarten And First Grades, Kathy L. Rubin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a curriculum study of a school neighborhood designed for children ages 5 through 7. The goal of this study is to provide an opportunity for students, who at this age are beginning to expand outward from the roots of their homes and families, to understand their next immediate neighborhood (their school). They will have a chance to meet people who work in the neighborhood, learn about how we get around and from where things come. And then, from that vantage point the students can begin to broaden their perspective and view of their world.

This study is …

More Than Just Imaginative: A Qualitative Study Of Values In Literature For Young Children From The 20th Century, Anna L. Cates

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation endeavors to address the issue of proper methodology for character education. Although character education enjoys wide support among teachers, parents, and society at large, the proper manner with which to accomplish this educational objective continues to be debated. Literature-based approaches to character education are among the most popular means of presenting values to students. This popularity has prompted scholars to closely scrutinize the value patterns in literature for young people. In part, the resulting studies have aimed to ascertain the worthiness of literature itself as a medium for introducing discussion about values and related issues. The method used …

Activities For Elementary Libraries To Integrate Nonfiction Reading, Cynthia L. Debock

All Graduate Projects

The focus ofthis project was to create activities that would encourage Kindergarten through Fourth grade elementary students in the use of nonfiction texts for personal enjoyment and information gathering. The project consists of activities designed to increase reading of nonfiction by the early elementary student. The activities are developed based upon a review of research that indicates improved reading comprehension of expository text among students who are taught to use interactive strategies. The activities include activation of prior knowledge through K-W-L, various graphic organizers, and DR-T A/DL-TA and providing a method for the reader to discover the structure or organizational …

Retention In The Primary Grades, Joni Gunter

Graduate Research Papers

Every year children are retained because of teachers' recommendations. When teachers recommend retention, the major reason is that children are having difficulty keeping up with their peers, or they are not functioning at grade level on district or state tests. Teachers may also recommend retention if children are smaller than peers, immature, have a late birthday, have excessive absences as a result of illness, or a move, or when English is a Second Language. This study examined the benefits, problems, as well as alternatives to retention. Conclusions and recommendations were determined based on the written research on retention.

Teaching Literacy In Kindergarten, Dawnette Diane Leslie

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined ways of teaching literacy in the kindergarten. Benefits and problems associated with teaching reading in kindergarten were discussed. Guidelines were presented for teachers implementing literacy instruction in kindergartens. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for teaching reading to kindergarten students.

Language Acquisition In A Natural Environment, Lisa Marie Muchlinski

All Graduate Projects

The search for early childhood curricula to prepare children from lowincome families for success in school began with the opening of Head Start in 1965 and Project Follow Through in 1967. Since then, interest in Early Childhood Curriculum Models has come and gone as the result of shifting trends in society. The nation is currently experiencing a renewed awareness in this area. The examination of the natural environment in relation to language acquisition is of increasing interest, as language acquisition is the precursor to pre-literacy skills. The natural environment is explored and an examination of several Early Childhood Curricula is …

Determining Best Practices For Supporting The Emergent Writer In Kindergarten And First Grade Classrooms: A Handbook For Educators, Lynn Pearl

All Graduate Projects

Best practices for supporting the emergent writer in kindergarten and first grade were researched. The research suggests ways to assist emergent writers as they move through the developmental stages of writing. A handbook for educators was created to not only compliment existing curriculum, but also to help educators organize a writing workshop in their classrooms. This handbook contains activities already field tested in many classrooms, and organized procedures for conducting a writer's workshop. iii

The Role Of Invented Spelling In Early Literacy, Nancy Carper

Graduate Research Papers

An awareness and understanding of invented spelling in early literacy were presented in this research paper. The developmental stages and guidelines associated with invented spelling were discussed. Advantages and problems of invented spelling were examined. Conclusions were drawn from the literature review and recommendations were stated for future research concerning invented spelling.

Teaching Nctm Standards Through Subject Areas In The Kindergarten Classroom, Elizabeth Tata O'Neil

Graduate Research Papers

Teachers are being expected to provide a full range of experiences for their students. But in reality, many early childhood programs have reading readiness and literacy as the only focus. In many situations, mathematics instruction is an afterthought. Many students are not given quality instruction because little time in the school day is left, once language arts instruction is completed. This is even more true for students in half-day programs.

One way to alleviate this disparity is to incorporate math instruction within other subject areas. This can be achieved if teachers are educated in the National Council of Teachers of …

School Readiness: Characteristics, Viewpoints, And Guidelines For Developing An Effective Kindergarten Program, Vicki A. Zweibohmer

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the recent literature on the subject of school readiness. Positive viewpoints, as well as negative viewpoints, associated with school readiness were discussed. Guidelines were presented for developing an effective kindergarten program with regard to school readiness. Also, conclusions were drawn from the current literature and recommendations were made for future kindergarten programs

Developing A Quality Parent Program For Dunkerton Preschool, Jolene Denner

Graduate Research Papers

This study addressed the topic of developing a quality parent program for the Dunkerton (Iowa) Preschool. A literature research study focused on benefits of a parent program and the problems associated with implementing parent education, involvement, and support. Guidelines and resources for planning and developing a successful program were outlined. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for pertinent guidelines for the Dunkerton Preschool.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Team-Teaching Involving General And Special Education Teachers In Early Childhood Programs, Lesley Janelle Ehlers

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examined the effects of team teaching in early childhood programs. Variations of team teaching were described. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with team teaching were also discussed. Guidelines were presented for educators concerning the successful implementation of team teaching. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for educators interested in team teaching.

Developing Literacy Through Storybook Reading Events, Linda Eitmann

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of storybook reading on children's emergent literacy. Benefits and challenges were discussed which were associated with facilitating literacy through teacher-read storybook events. Also guidelines were presented for teachers to use storybooks as an emergent developmental and instructional method. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for the future facilitation of storybook reading events.

Maintaining Developmentally Appropriate Practice In An Increasingly Academic Kindergarten, Amy Phillips

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper was to conduct a review of research to determine whether a developmental or an academic curriculum is most appropriate for kindergarten classrooms. The research outlined the benefits of developmentally appropriate practice, including increased academic performance and better social skills. The research also showed the detriments of developmentally inappropriate practice, including increased stress levels, a stifling of enthusiasm for learning and less advanced academic and social skills.

However, in spite of the research, many early childhood professionals are not fully implementing developmentally appropriate practice. Three main obstacles to full implementation were the following: (a) increased accountability …

A Study Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards On The Instructional Practices Of Teachers In Grades 1-4, David H. Dilks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

A Study Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards On The Instructional Practices Of Teachers In Grades 1-4, David H. Dilks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Positive And Negative Effects Of Television Viewing In Early Childhood, Rachel R. Morris

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the positive and negative effects of television viewing. in early childhood. Benefits, as well as problems,associated with television viewing were discussed. Guidelines to assist parents for using media in positive ways that.match a child's developmental levels and needs were presented. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations made to complement the developmental level of the young child.

Implementation Of Writing Portfolios In Grade Two, Jill A. Hans

Graduate Research Papers

The view of language as a process has influenced the use of qualitative assessment techniques that allow the description of children's progress, interests, and instructional needs. One qualitative technique among several is the portfolio. Specifically, in assessing children's writing, the students and the. teacher can collaborate in selecting a collection of writing exhibits for their. portfolios. Such collecting can occur over time giving evidence of emerging literacy.

The purpose of this article is to provide background information about writing portfolios. Then, the implementation of portfolio assessment in a second grade writing program is presented through three students' collection activity.

Integrating "Kindergarten Technology Activities" Into The Kindergarten Classroom, Tania Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

This graduate project outlines how technology was integrated into a kindergarten classroom using the activities from" Kindergarten Technology Activities." The activities were tested during the 2000-2001 school year with a kindergarten class of fifteen students. The project gives a brief description of the activities, how effective the activities were, and what modifications may need to be made.

After any revisions, the activities will be shared with the other members of the kindergarten team for the following school year. These activities will improve the use of technology with the kindergarten students. The teachers will gain knowledge of additional technology activities that …