Early Childhood Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Book Workshops On Emergent Reading Skills In Montessori Early Childhood, Antonia Rebori

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research study was to increase preliteracy skills, confidence, and interest in reading in a Montessori early childhood environment through a reading workshop model. Given the pressure on teachers to create stronger readers at younger ages, this work discusses developmentally appropriate language tasks for children ages three- to six-years-old using the Montessori method and emergent literacy theory frameworks. Research suggests children who exhibit confidence and interest in reading develop strong preliteracy skills. These factors predict capable and active readers. For six weeks, a Montessori early childhood classroom of 14 students and three adult guides participated in …

Literacy Approaches In Montessori 3-6: An Action Research Project, Margaret Beagle

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this research study was to examine connections between the early introduction of Montessori phonograms and increased student-led writing with the Movable Alphabet. This paper discusses the politics of literacy instruction and common literacy approaches used in Montessori early childhood settings, and examines best literacy practices for early childhood students. The study gathered data from Montessori early childhood educators and 19 students in a Montessori early childhood classroom. The classroom data was collected over four weeks, introducing phonograms alongside individual Sandpaper Letters. Children were then given the choice between using objects to guide their writing with the Movable …

Teaching Peace: The Effects Of Concentrated Interaction With Anti-Racist/Anti-Bias Media On A Montessori Guide’S Practice, Sarah Streyle

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this self-study was to examine the effects of concentrated interaction with anti-bias/anti-racist media on a Montessori guide’s practice. It was conducted over a total of six weeks. The intervention included a pre- and post- survey of understanding, nightly media interactions, daily reflection journaling, daily tallies of anti-bias/anti-racist thoughts during the school day, and a daily confidence scale to measure the participant’s confidence to integrate anti-bias/anti-racist concepts into her teaching practice. The study was completed at a private Montessori school in a medium-sized midwestern town, with an early childhood classroom of fifteen three- to five-year-old students of diverse …

The Impacts Of A Revised Handwriting Curriculum On Independent Letter Formation And Motivation In A Montessori 3-6 Classroom, Rebecca Junnila Baldini

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to observe the impacts of a revised handwriting curriculum on motivation for handwriting and independent letter formation in a Montessori 3-6 classroom. Participants in the four-week study included eight students aged 3.6 to 5.9 in a private Montessori school located in a small New England college town. The revised curriculum utilized Orton-Gillingham sequencing, plus new handwriting materials and opportunities. Data sources included a daily tally sheet to track handwriting work, daily writing samples, student interviews, and lesson plan/reflection sheets. Data showed that the average daily participation rate for all optional handwriting work …

How Can Teachers Support School Readiness Skills Through Social And Emotional Development For Male Students?, Tara Funseth

Graduate Teacher Education

Gender has an influence on how children learn. According to data, preschool males fell behind females in social and emotional development (Kent and Pitsia, 2018). Teachers support school readiness skills through social and emotional development for male students. To ensure male student learning styles are supported, teachers need to modify teaching methods. One challenge is educators are female dominant and expectations of children may have been designed for females. This paper synthesized peer reviewed journal articles and book research on why children needed social and emotional skills and how males and females differed in social and emotional development. The research …

Social And Emotional Development To Foster Academic Growth In English Language Learning Preschoolers, Donna Mangone

Graduate Teacher Education

The fastest growing population of students entering preschool classrooms are English language learners (Winsler et al., 2014). Not only is the population of English language learners growing (Winsler et al., 2014), but there is a steady increase in the academic achievement gap. Further, the growth of ELL students corresponds with the gap. Related to both is social and emotional development. Social and emotional skills provide the apparatus for all learning. The early childhood educator is well-versed in teaching these skills. Therefore, an early childhood educator teaching social and emotional development to English language learners provides opportunities to remedy the academic …

The Effects Of Earth-Conscious Art Materials On Early Childhood Montessori Students’ Environmental Awareness, Danni Wei

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project investigates the effect of providing earth-conscious materials in the art curriculum on early childhood Montessori students' environmental awareness. The participants for this study were seven preschool students at a private, home-based Montessori school in the urban Western United States. The research design was qualitative and quantitative, utilizing field notes, observational notes, behavioral tally sheets, and group conversational questionnaires to gather information on students' environmental awareness. The students' mean eco-affinity responses increased by 16%, while their mean environmental awareness responses increased by 23%. The frequency of material usage positively correlated with the frequency of environmental actions. The …

Witnessing The Unlimited Potential Of Children Being Peaceful: Impact Of Proactive Restorative Circle Practice On Early Childhood Students In A Montessori Setting, Maya Soriano

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research was to study the effects that daily proactive restorative circle practice (PRCP) had on speaking skills, listening, and positive classroom culture amongst Montessori Children's House students. The research took place over a four week period of time in a two way immersion Children's House in a Montessori public charter school in the Midwest. The population included 8 students ages 4-5.5 years. Students participated in a daily proactive restorative circle each afternoon. The researcher also observed students during lunch to collect data on any influence the PRCP had outside of circle time. Data was collected …

Introducing Science Education In Early Childhood, Marissa M. Arciniega

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The increasing focus on literacy development and kindergarten readiness in preschool has created a lack of science education in early childhood education. In recent research, Head Start found that of the four academic readiness domains for preschoolers (i.e., language, literacy, math, and science), science is the lowest-performing area amongst students in their program (Bustamante, White, & Greenfield, 2018). Research is showing that declining performance in science is partly due to the lack of science education in classrooms. Lack of science is not only affecting school performance down the road, but it also limits children in receiving the benefits of early …

Teacher Perception Of Inquiry-Based Teaching In Mathematics In Early Childhood, Nadim Farooqi

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Inquiry-based instruction has been pivotal in transforming classrooms into engaging student-centered learning environments. Utilizing inquiry-based instruction in mathematics in early childhood can help build a strong foundation in mathematics. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of teachers and administrators on inquiry-based instruction in early childhood mathematics. This study was guided by three research questions. This study took place at two public schools in NYC. Data was collected through a preinterview survey and interviews. The participants included nine teachers and three administrators. During the analysis process five themes were revealed: professional development, planning and preparation, student engagement, building foundational skills, and …

Early Childhood Educator Knowledge: An Exploratory Study Regarding Giftedness And Students Of Color, Stephanie A. Peralta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine general early childhood educator knowledge and perceptions of curricula relevant for early childhood gifted students of color. The research questions that guided the study were the following: How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede academic success for gifted students of color? How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede social emotional learning for gifted students of color? What are the perspectives of educators regarding inclusive practices including Critical Race Theory, within a preschool through second grade gifted curricula?

In reviewing the literature and national data concerning representation …

The Impact Of Unexpected Chaos On The Development Of A Child With Cognitive, Social, And Emotional Delays: A Case Study, Sarah Brown

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact of environmental, educational, and household chaos on the development of an atypically developing child. The study evaluates the contribution and change of parental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. Following Case Study methodology, this is an in-depth evaluation of one mother and child's experience, including data analysis of the child's social, emotional, and cognitive development before and after chaos. The results of this case study identified the development of a child before and after chaotic events occurred. Parental stress was also identified as a contributing factor in the …

Growth Mindset And Agency In The Preschool Classroom, Isaac Rowan Coppock

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Mindsets, or how we as individuals characterize intelligence and our ability to attain it, are deeply connected to motivation. Those who employ a fixed mindset view intelligence as set and effort as fruitless. Conversely, those who utilize a growth mindset have healthy attitudes about challenges and view effort as a necessary part of learning. For educators working with children, finding ways to encourage growth over fixed mindsets is incredibly indicative of the future academic success individual children might experience. This study explores the foundations of mindset attainment through a teacher’s ability to affect individual preschool-aged (three to five years) children’s …

Virtual Coaching Chinese Parents To Use Naturalistic Communication Intervention With Children With Special Needs, Lin Zhu

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

Effective early communication intervention is essential for preventing long-term, language-related problems for children with special needs. Particular for young dual language learner, supports provided family members in their home language can effectively promote development of communication skills in both home language and English. To help Chinese parents better support their children’s communication needs at home, this study applied a multi-component coaching intervention to teach parents to use a naturalistic communication intervention.

Using multi-probe single subject design, this study experimentally evaluated the effects of coaching intervention on parents’ acquisition of naturalistic intervention. The coaching intervention included a video-based training session, pre-practice …