Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-second annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2009.

Fueling Small Explosions Of Conversation: A Reading Curriculum For Fourth Grade, Rebecca Blake Eisenberg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this fourth-grade reading curriculum is to teach students to become active readers who can articulate and communicate their thoughts about reading. By communicating about text, readers construct meaning and develop a rich understanding and appreciation of their reading. The curriculum uses the reading workshop framework (Atwell, 1998; Calkins, 2001; Rief, 1992) and the literature circle structure (Daniels, 2002). Process- and content-based mini-lessons provide explicit instruction for literature circle discussions. Comprehension strategy mini-lessons are provided to complement the literature circle instruction and provide support for students as needed.

Is Reading Recovery A Beneficial Reading Program To Have Implemented In A School District?, Carrie Langan

Graduate Research Papers

Reading Recovery is an instructional program that offers individualized reading and writing instruction to struggling first graders. This program is costly and with the limited number of first graders that can be served, it raises the question : Is Reading Recovery really beneficial in the long run?

The purpose of this paper is to explain the importance that Reading Recovery has to offer. While this program may be costly, Reading Recovery children usually complete their series of lessons within 12 - 20 weeks. After that time, other children take their place. With good classroom instruction , many children who discontinue …

What Every Kindergarten Teacher Should Know About Spelling, Gjoa King

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this article was to determine what research stated about writing and spelling instruction at the kindergarten level. I looked specifically at research concerning spelling and writing development in kindergarten children, the role of invented spelling, and the effects of instruction on spelling outcomes. This was done for the purpose of synthesizing the research in order to help teachers implement a developmentally appropriate spelling curriculum for kindergartners.

The Impact Of Oral Language Activities In Preschool On Reading Competence In Kindergarten And Beyond, Melissa Sifert

Graduate Research Papers

The following literature review examined the impact of oral language activities in preschool concerning literacy competence in kindergarten and beyond. Four questions were addressed: (1) What is the role of oral language on reading achievement? (2) What instructional activities are important in promoting oral language skills crucial for later reading development? (3) What challenges do educators face when incorporating oral language activities in the preschool classroom? and (4) What are guidelines for integrating oral language activities in preschool? Recommendations for the advancement of oral language instruction in the education system were presented.

Interactive Writing In A Kindergarten Classroom, Amy Henze

Graduate Research Papers

This research study focused on the use of interactive writing as the primary method of writing instruction in a kindergarten classroom. The purpose of the study was to find out the extent to which and in what ways interactive writing supports the needs of all students at various emergent writing stages. The study also examined students' writing samples to see if there was carryover of skills from the interactive writing lessons to the students' independent writing. Results indicate a variety of skills were taught during the interactive writing lessons, and all of the students showed growth in the use of …

Integrating And Implementing Literacy In A Toddler Classroom, Emily Knutson

Graduate Research Papers

This Project examined the topic of literacy in a toddler classroom. Research on toddler language, reading, writing, and parent involvement with literacy was discussed. The Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale and Iowa Early Learning Standards were used to rate a toddler classroom in regard to literacy activities. Guidelines were presented for establishing quality literacy activities for toddler children. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and the classroom project for the future of literacy development for toddlers.

Not Enough Non-Fiction Literacy Material In Early Childhood, Melani L. Piscitelli

Graduate Research Papers

In the body of this paper, educators will find answers to some questions that they have concerning non-fiction literature. These questions include: What does research say about incorporating non-fiction material into the classroom: how much non-fiction material should I have in my classroom; and how do I pick out quality non-fiction material?

Educators will also be able to look at three different non-fiction lesson plans. Each lesson plan will use a different type of non-fiction literature to give educators a well rounded view of non-fiction literature. There will also be a section about locating nonfiction books, to give educators a …

The Influence Of High-Quality Early Childhood Education Programs On At-Risk Children's Literacy And Language Development, Gwendolyn M. Kellen

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review addressed the impact that high-quality early childhood education programs have on at-risk children's literacy and language development. The purpose of this review was to focus on the impact and benefits that high quality early childhood education programs have on the literacy and language development of at-risk young children, and the influence that the early childhood teachers, the early childhood classroom environment, and the early childhood classroom activities have on the literacy and language development of young children who may be at-risk of developing reading difficulties when they begin formal education.

The research concluded that at-risk children who …