Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Stress In Educational Context, Sarah Matthews

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This paper examines stress within educational contexts as a complex, relational, and systemic experience rather than solely a negative condition. Drawing on research related to stress perception, coping, leadership, trauma, and resource access, the paper highlights how stress affects educators, students, and families across early childhood and special education settings. Key themes include the role of perception in shaping stress responses, the impact of resource availability and socioeconomic factors, the transfer of stress within classroom environments, and the influence of leadership and organizational stability on teacher and student well-being. Using an ecological framework, the paper emphasizes that stress operates across …

Notice, Respond, Observe, Adjust: Everyday Co-Regulation With Infants And Toddlers, Tony Kung

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Co-regulation is central to infants’ and toddlers’ developing emotional regulation, yet educators often need to make responsive decisions in real time during everyday classroom routines. This research-to-practice article translates developmental and early childhood research into a practical four-part reflection guide: Notice, Respond, Observe, and Adjust. The article examines how educators can attend to children’s gestures, movements, vocalizations, and participation when supporting arrival and separation, caregiving routines, play, and peer encounters. It emphasizes responsive support that adapts to children’s individual communication, developmental needs, family knowledge, and classroom context. Drawing on recent empirical research and published educator observations, the article offers practical …

“When I’M Not Heard, I Feel Like I Don’T Matter”: Advancing Equity In Disability Policy Through Critical Participatory Action Research With People With Intellectual Disability, Cris Marchionne

Student Theses

People with intellectual disability deserve a system that offers flexible, timely, and person-centered support — one that is innovative, sustainable, and holistic in enabling them to live fulfilling lives. This qualitative study, grounded in Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), examines how people with intellectual disability experience participation in decision-making within New York State's disability service system. By centering lived experience, the study identifies factors that facilitate or hinder participation in decision-making and examines structural, social, and policy-related barriers that limit agency. Through six focus groups and a Photovoice project with self-advocates receiving OPWDD services, participants described systemic barriers that limited …

Understanding And Responding To Childhood Trauma In The Classroom, Kara L. Ganzer

Master of Arts in Human Services

This capstone explored childhood trauma as a significant public health and educational issue because of its widespread impact on children’s development, learning, behavior, and educational experiences. A review of the current literature was conducted to examine adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the neurobiological and developmental effects of childhood trauma, its impact within educational settings, and the trauma-informed approaches for supporting students who have experienced adversity. The literature suggested that childhood trauma can disrupt brain development, executive functioning, emotional regulation, attention, memory, and stress-response systems, contributing to academic, behavioral, and social-emotional challenges within the classroom. Findings also highlighted the important role schools …

What Makes Implicit Bias Training Effective? An Examination Of Training Program Interventions And K-12 Educator Experiences, Kyleigh K. Mcaloon

McNair Summer Research Program

Differences in disciplinary referrals based on race have led many to argue that bias may influence disciplinary decisions. Implicit bias (IB) training is designed to address such disparities by raising awareness of biases that may impact assessment of behavior and disciplinary decisions. In recent years, many have questioned the validity of IB as a construct and also the potential impact of training. Some scholars argue that these programs fail to produce meaningful behavioral change and may unintentionally reinforce or increase bias. The aim of the present study was to investigate how individuals receive and respond to such training. Sixteen K-12 …

Praise That Empowers: Training Preschool Teachers To Linguistically Adapt Behavior-Specific Praise For Hispanic Students, Claudia Abril Ochoa

Dissertations

Children’s engagement in early ages is critical for promoting behavioral, academic, and social-emotional outcomes. However, engagement in classroom activities may be difficult for young children who have not mastered the primary language used in early childhood education settings (i.e., English). Research regarding engagement in English Language Learners (ELLs) in preschool settings, as well as cultural and/or linguistic adaptations of classroom interventions to serve this population is limited. Behavior-specific praise (BSP) has been an effective strategy to improve behavior in preschool classrooms. The current study used a multiple-baseline design across three Head-Start teachers to test the efficacy of in situ training …

Urban Indian Parents' Occupational Perceptions Of Play And Governance Of Children's Excessive Screen Time Preferences And Behaviours In This Digital Era, Joanna Priyadarshini Udaykumar, Tony Sam George

International Journal of Playwork Practice

Abstract

Children’s innate urge to engage in joyous, self-directed, meaningful, iterative activities embodies their unique play experiences and facilitates their holistic development. However, the exponential growth of digital technology in an urbanized world has transformed their social landscape by offering them a plethora of novel play opportunities that ‘pushes children away from the outdoors and pulls them indoors’. Moreover, the radical transition from nature-based recreation to media-centric activity insinuates the surge of a global pandemic characterized by low physical activity, sleep deprivation and sedentary, lifestyle diseases. This emerging trend reflects children’s predilection for videophilia over biophilia due to the dominance …

Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef

Theses and Dissertations

Corporal punishment (CP) and severe physical punishment (SPP) remain a major public health, child rights, and child protection policy concern. In Egypt, despite legislative reforms, survey-weighted analysis of the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021 (CAPMAS, 2022) reveals prevalence rates of 60.5% for CP and 27.4% for SPP among children aged 1–14 (author’s calculations using EFHS-2021, n=7623), yet evidence distinguishing the determinants of routine corporal punishment from escalation to severe physical punishment remains limited in low- and middle-income contexts. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this mixed-methods study identifies key drivers of CP and its escalation to SPP among Egyptian …

Engaging Immigrant Families Of Children With Disabilities: Recommendations For Practitioners, Robai N. Werunga, John William Mckenna, Rocio Rosales

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Family involvement is essential for positive school outcomes. Yet research suggests that family engagement for students with disabilities may be marked by conflict. Furthermore, creating an environment that promotes active engagement for immigrant families may be challenging. In this paper, we synthesize existing research, legal guidance, and community-engaged insights to present four practice-oriented recommendations for educators and practitioners working with immigrant families of children with disabilities. Grounded in Hans and Love’s stages of immigrant family engagement, these recommendations aim to support meaningful and culturally responsive participation in special education processes.

Emotion-Focused Teaching And Preschool Children's Social, Emotional, And Self-Regulatory Development, Brielle Emily Petit

Dissertations and Theses

Contributing to the literature on supportive mechanisms for children's development of social, emotional, and self-regulatory competencies, the current study examines the contributions of emotion-focused teaching in preschool classrooms. Emotion-focused teaching is a framework used within preschool classrooms that encompasses three domains of teaching that support children's development of emotion skills—how teachers display their own emotions or emotion-related behaviors and actions (modeling), the ways they respond to children's emotional expressions (responding), and how instruction is used to inform children about emotions and related processes (instructing). More frequent emotion-focused teaching has been shown to be a …

Building Capacity And Inspiring Change: The Impact Of Louisiana’S Ucedd Across The Lifespan, Alicia Kowitz, Constance Alphonse, Phil Wilson, Maria Blanco

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Human Development Center (HDC), as the state’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), serves as a catalyst for inclusive systems change through interdisciplinary training, community engagement, and evidence-based service delivery. This manuscript highlights the breadth and impact of HDC’s initiatives across early childhood, education, transition, and community inclusion. Through programs such as Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood, PAYCheck, and LEND, HDC builds capacity among professionals, empowers individuals with disabilities and their families, and strengthens systems to be more responsive and equitable. The stories and outcomes shared illustrate how intentional, collaborative efforts …

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …

Practical Applications Of Play Therapy Principles In Early Childhood Classrooms, Colleen D. Martinez, Beth A. Trammell

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Play in early childhood is a central tenet to everyday life for children and is thus of great importance to early childhood practitioners. However, the wide variety of definitions, policies, and practices related to play make implementing it effectively in the classroom nuanced. This article explores components of both child-led and adult-led practices—viewed through the lens of play therapy—to aid early childhood educators in applying these practices in the classroom. Case examples from the authors are included to further explore these topics in real-life situations.

Latent Transition Analysis: A Statistical Method For Identifying Underlying Subgroups Over Time, Holmes Finch

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Researchers working in early childhood research are often interested in assessing change over time in multiple variables. In addition, they may wish to ascertain whether there exist subgroups in the data with respect to these variables, and whether/how membership in these groups is related. Latent transition analysis (LTA) provides such researchers with a useful tool for investigating questions around such groups, including their composition, frequency, and the likelihood of moving from one to another at different points in time. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a full demonstrate of LTA and show how it can be used to …

Comparison Of Multidimensional Models For Extreme Response Styles, Holmes Finch, Brian French

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Self-administered scales are ubiquitous throughout the social sciences. Therefore, it is crucial that they properly reflect the measured latent trait(s), and are not influenced by other factors. One potential threat to validity is the response style favored by an individual completing the items. In particular, a tendency to engage in extreme responding (ERS) can result in a tendency to provide responses in the outer range of the response scale, independent of the actual level of the response to the item. The purposes of this study was to demonstrate how these models can be used to account for ERS in practice, …

A Tutorial For Identifying And Comparing Change Points In Developmental Trajectories, Holmes Finch

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Researchers in a variety of social science fields work with sequential data, such as measurements made over time. In some instances, one or more of the moments (e.g., mean, variance) of the series may change abruptly at some point in the sequence, yielding what is known as a change point. There is a broad literature describing methods for changepoint detection. Researchers working with multiple sequential series containing change points may be interested in comparing the locations of these changes. The purpose of this manuscript is to demonstrate how a researcher can detect changepoints and compare changepoints between two or more …

Using Multilevel Modeling To Understand Nested Data, Holmes Finch

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Researchers in the social sciences often work with nested data, in which individuals are collected in higher level clusters. For example, educational research often involves working with samples in which students are nested within schools. Standard data analyses, such as regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA), yield statistically biased results when this nested structure is ignored. One widely used and effective approach for handling such nested data is multilevel modeling. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the basics of multilevel modeling and to provide the reader with a fully worked example in which the analytic approach and results …

Early Education Indirect Service Research With Generalization Data: A Systematic Review Of Single-Case Design Methodological Rigor, Zachary C. Labrot, Brittany D. Garza, Tyler Smith, Emily Maxime, Abigail Lawson

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Consultation and coaching are both forms of indirect service delivery that have been found to be effective for improving early childhood educators’ implementation of evidence-based practices. These indirect service delivery modalities have also been found to be effective for promoting early childhood educators’ generalization of evidence-based practices. However, less is known regarding the methodological rigor of early childhood indirect service delivery research that collected generalization data. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to apply the 2020 and 2020 What Works Clearinghouse single-case design standards to this literature base to determine the extent to which these studies were conducted in …

Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.

Bug-In-Ear ECoaching To Enhance Parents' Use Of Embedded Learning Opportunities With Preschool-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aeshah Alturki

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has heightened the need for effective communication interventions. Parents are key partners in intervention and, with appropriate support, can serve as effective intervention agents. However, parents often require ongoing support to implement evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study was to experimentally evaluate the effects of online Bug-in-Ear (BIE) eCoaching on parents’ fidelity of embedded choice-making during family routines with their preschool-aged children with ASD. This study also examined the generalization and maintenance, children’s communicative responses, and parents’ perceptions of the intervention. A single-subject nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across two parent–child dyads …

From Arrival To Opportunity: A Policy Analysis For Supporting Newly Arrived English Learners In California, Valeria Gabrielli, Stephanie Mendoza Hernandez

School of Public Policy Capstones

Newly arrived immigrant students, commonly referred to as “newcomers,” represent a notable portion of the English Learner (EL) population in California’s K–12 public schools. As of Fall 2023, the California Department of Education reported that newcomers comprised 3.27% of total student enrollment. Although enrollment is projected to decline in the near term, the potential for future increases highlights the need for sustainable, evidence-based support systems. This study examines how California K–12 public schools with large EL populations provide academic and trauma-informed support services to newcomer students, with a particular focus on early intervention in grades K–5. Using the Bardach policy …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Lend-Based Family Mentorship Program For Pre-Service Professionals, Matthew Bogenschutz, Sarah Lineberry, Jackie Robinson Brock, Flip Grey, Kathryn Flinn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Family-led pre-professional mentoring programs have been shown in past literature to have multiple positive outcomes, including better provider communication, increased sensitivity to the needs and contributions of family members in clinical settings, and better understanding of disability policy contexts among professionals. Yet there have been relatively few examples of exemplary programs that have developed successful models for family mentoring of pre-service professionals. Using qualitative evaluative data from one such program, a component of a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, this study shares the experiences of both families and trainees. Common themes shared between these two groups …

Early Childhood Echo (Ec Echo) Start-Up & Operations Manual, Lisa Long, I. Michelle Gaither, Ruby Brenner, Bradley Long, Emily Mcclelland, Malcolm Huell, Lauren Elliott, Katerina Sergi

Publications

The Early Childhood ECHO (EC ECHO) Start-up & Operations Manual is a practical guide to launching case-based telementoring and professional development using the Project ECHO® model. Prepared for early childhood programs and agencies. Adapted from Mississippi’s EC ECHO implementation (2023–2025) and aligned with Project ECHO® guidance.

Parents’ Lived Experiences With Competitive Integrated Employment For Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disability, Dr. Aisha J. Omar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Kentucky parents seeking Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Guided by the research questions—How do parents experience this process, and what barriers or supports do they encounter?—the study highlights systemic challenges despite legislative efforts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In-depth interviews with five parents revealed three themes: (a) parental transformation and the pursuit of meaningful work, (b) systemic challenges in accessing CIE, and (c) overcoming protective instincts: navigating fear, independence, and self-advocacy. Findings suggest a …

Assessing School Readiness For Social And Emotional Learning: A Study Of School Leadership Perceptions And Attitudes, Nahla Elharati

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) in a number of British schools across Egypt, focusing on how school leaders defined and perceived its importance in student development. Through in-depth interviews with twelve school leaders, this study found that school leaders’ definitions of SEL emphasized self- awareness, self-regulation, and relationship-building, alongside a strong focus on the real-life applicability of SEL both within school settings and in students’ future lives. School leaders also expressed positive attitudes toward the benefits of SEL, particularly its role in enhancing academic performance, promoting student well-being, improving peer relationships, and reducing bullying, …

The Indispensable Role Of The Sister Disability Agencies: Safeguarding Progress And Enhancing Outcomes Through Collaboration, Lesley Cottrell, Susan Given, Christina E. Wiseman

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This manuscript emphasizes the critical importance of having a Disability Network of services—including University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Protection & Advocacy organizations - in promoting systemic innovation and improved outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities. Highlighting a case study from West Virginia, where collaboration between West Virginia University’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Disability Rights of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council has resulted in cost-effective, sustainable improvements, this paper underscores the urgent need to protect and expand these programs amidst current policy threats. The evidence underscores that …

Training On "Learn The Signs. Act Early." In Head Start And Early Head Start Shows Ineffective Without Supporting Implementation Policy, Kayla Livingston, Mary O'Donnell, Kate G. Barlow

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays improves child outcomes, yet many children are not monitored, screened, or identified early despite its effectiveness. The relationship between the use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” developmental monitoring program and referrals to intervention services is not well understood. This study investigated how “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” implementation practices within Massachusetts’ Head Start and Early Head Start agencies correlated with the rate of referrals to intervention services. Researchers utilized a non-experimental quantitative design. Secondary data on referral rates from Head Start and Early …

Educating Medical Trainees On Mental Healthcare And Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Andrea Palmieri, Joan B. Beasley, Micah Peace Urquilla, Jennifer Mclaren

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Many children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience mental health conditions and commonly receive treatment with psychotropic medications. Prescribers often overuse these medications in children with IDD, who are frequently treated with polypharmacy and antipsychotics, a trend that continues into adulthood. Medical trainees receive little training regarding the IDD patient population. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an evidence-informed, easy-to-use training curriculum. The 6-hour training establishes a foundation for medical trainees regarding the treatment of mental health conditions in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD-MH) as part of an integrated health, interdisciplinary treatment approach. …

Implementing Gestures Into Vocabulary Instruction To Aid Recall And Retention, Emma Dilley

Masters Theses

This study highlighted the idea of incorporating gestures into vocabulary instruction to help the students recall and retain the new vocabulary words. The researcher predicted that with the incorporation of the strategy of gestures into instruction, kindergarten students will be able to retain more vocabulary words compared to vocabulary instruction that does not include gestures. A total of 22 students and one teacher from a rural town in central Illinois participated in the study. This study was a mixed methods study, which included quantitative data in the form of pretest and posttest and qualitative data in the form of a …

Evaluating The Effects Of Abbreviated And Full-Length Training Formats On Implementation Of Embedded Instruction Practices, Hannah Elizabeth Keene

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

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an abbreviated training package and full-length behavioral skills training (BST) on staff implementation of embedded instruction (EI) procedures in a university-affiliated inclusive early childhood center. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used with four student workers in inclusive preschool classrooms. The initial intervention included a package of didactic instruction and in-vivo modeling. Full BST was planned for participants who did not reach mastery criteria following the brief training.

The primary dependent variable was participant fidelity of EI implementation, and the secondary dependent variable measured the rate of …