Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Application Of Multicultural Literature In The Early Childhood Classroom, Deborah Wheeler, Jennifer Hill

Journal of English Learner Education

Culture equates to identity; therefore, the implementation of multicultural literature in the early childhood curriculum is an essential method for securing children’s concept of self and cultural identity. This qualitative study explored the implementation of multicultural literature in early childhood classrooms, and the research included questions pertaining to multicultural literature training, instructional methods, and barriers encountered. The purpose of the study was to answer questions regarding teachers use of multicultural literature in the classroom, how often teachers read multicultural literature and how teachers integrated multicultural literature into instruction. An additional question inquired about what multicultural books titles were teachers reading …

The Mitigation Of In-Group And Outgroup Biases: Understanding The Perceptions Of Educators On The Contact Approach Theory, Brigitte Blazys

Dissertations

The contact approach theory was introduced in the 1950s, by Allport, as a method to mitigate biases. Since then, many DEI practitioners in the United States have formed alliances to create a social justice movement to combat racism, prejudice, and biases in our society. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted in the contact approach theory as these biases, initially observed as in-group and outgroup biases, originate in the early years of life. To begin to fill this gap in the literature, the purpose of this study was to better understand and identify to what extent, if any, prekindergarten through third …

Playing With Math And Science In The Early Childhood Classroom, Cassandra Armstrong, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Young students are equipped with the curiosity and creativity to be successful scientists and mathematicians. In today’s classrooms, strong foundational skills in STEM promote success for years to come. Through play, young students can subitize, sort, draw, recognize patterns, and explore loose parts. Participants will actively take part in several activities highlighting each of these skills.

How Do Parents Of Typically Developing Children Perceive And Interact With Children With Exceptionalities?, Zurisaday N. Decker

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to examine how parents with children displaying typical development, perceive and interact with children who have exceptionalities or disabilities and explore parents’ openness to having discussions about exceptional children in inclusive classrooms. Given that parents function as foundational sources of knowledge to children in their early childhood years, understanding parents’ perceptions of and interactions with children with disabilities may help to understand how these parents’ children will, in-turn, perceive and interact with classroom peers with disabilities. This line of inquiry is supported by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which views microsystems such as the family, …

A Guide For Preschool General Education Teachers To Identify And Support Children With Developmental Delays, Sarah Jane Snider Mrs

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Snider (2021) A Guide for Preschool General Education Teachers to Identify and Support Children with Developmental Delays

It is essential to identify areas of professional development that educators need in order to effectively teach children. Professional development strengthens teachers knowledge and equips them with skills that will improve teaching practice and child achievement. This study looked at preschool general educator areas of weakness. The information that was obtained was used to create a professional development guide to enhance weakness areas. The results show that preschool general education teachers needed further information on identifying and supporting children with developmental delays. In …

Teacher Interactions, Teacher Bias And Child Behavioral Health, Ellen E. Edge

Doctoral Dissertations

TEACHER INTERACTIONS, TEACHER BIAS AND CHILD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SEPTEMBER 2020 ELLEN ELLSBERG EDGE, BFA, THE COOPER UNION SCHOOL OF ART Post BA, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST M.ED, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph. D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Claire Hamilton This study utilized a mixed methods study design to gain a clearer understanding of the thoughts and feelings of Lead teachers in Head Start programs who work with children with perceived behavioral health challenges. Utilizing a semi-structured interview, 11 teachers employed in a New England Head Start program were asked about their views associated with child behavioral health, …

Who Will Care For The Early Care And Education Workforce? Covid-19 And The Need To Support Early Childhood Educators’ Emotional Well-Being, Mark Nagasawa, Kate Tarrant

Straus Center for Young Children & Families

This brief report describes issues and opportunities related to early childhood educators' emotional well-being that emerged from a survey exploring how the COVID-19 was affecting early educators across New York City and New York State (n=3355). Among our key findings were: (1) that mental health support was the most frequently identified need (n=910); (2) professional mental health was the least reported approach to coping (n=216); and (3) how those teaching and caring remotely were approximately one-and-a- half times more likely to rate their emotional well-being as lower than those whose sites were closed (CI 95% 1.157, 1.896). We argue, given …

Teaching Beliefs And Their Relationship To Professional Development In Special Education Teachers, Jennifer Francois

Educational Considerations

Access to high-quality, meaningful professional development (PD) for in-service teachers around inclusive practices is an important element that has the potential to influence change in classroom practice and student outcomes. This is particularly important for children with identified disabilities. Previous research has identified that a teacher’s self-efficacy impacts the adoption of PD and subsequent implementation of new educational strategies. In addition, teacher beliefs about their own teaching ability (i.e., self-efficacy) has been shown to be related to motivation and the willingness to seek out PD experiences. The current study investigates the relationship of PD and teaching self-efficacy for inclusive practices. …

The Importance Of Teaching Young Children Academics Through Multi-Sensory Activities, Tiffany Schardt

Senior Theses

In this project, one will find information regarding the benefits of multi-sensory learning. Multi-sensory learning is a hands-on form of learning. One will find information on how technology is causing children to spend less time learning through their senses. The project is accompanied by information for parents and what they can do to promote multi-sensory learning at home. Along with this information, parents will find a guidebook that incorporates academic concepts with multi-sensory lessons. The project is organized so that one can find information on technology, importance of multi-sensory learning, proof, and guidebook contents. The project is easily laid out …