Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Ten Steps To Conducting A Large, Multi-Site, Longitudinal Investigation Of Language And Reading In Young Children, Language And Reading Research Consortium, Kelly Farquharson, Kimberly A. Murphy

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: This paper describes methodological procedures involving execution of a large-scale, multi-site longitudinal study of language and reading comprehension in young children. Researchers in the Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC) developed and implemented these procedures to ensure data integrity across multiple sites, schools, and grades. Specifically, major features of our approach, as well as lessons learned, are summarized in 10 steps essential for successful completion of a large-scale longitudinal investigation in early grades. Method: Over 5 years, children in preschool through third grade were administered a battery of 35 higher- and lower-level language, listening, and reading comprehension measures (RCM). …

Assessing Language Modeling In Pre-K Classrooms: A Quantitative Analysis Using The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (Class), Joy L. Hernandez, Abha Gupta, Peter Baker, Lea G. Lee, Jihea Maddamsetti

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This quantitative study examined the relationship between specific teacher-child interaction behaviors and language modeling quality in Pre-K classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) framework. Data were collected from structured observations in 11 Pre- K classrooms in Southeast Virginia during spring and summer 2024. The Language Modeling dimension was assessed through five key indicators: frequent conversations, open-ended questions, repetition and extension, self and parallel talk, and use of advanced language. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and regression analyses were employed to examine relationships between observed teacher behaviors and overall language modeling scores. Results revealed weak and statistically non-significant correlations across …

Humanoid Robots Supporting Children’S Intellectual And Social Dispositions In An Early Childhood Setting, Helen Crompton, Diane Burke, Kristine Sunday, Peter Baker, Kristin Gregory, John Asija

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This study explores the affordances provided by the use of the NAO robot in an early childhood classroom. Using the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework as a guide, the researchers analyzed the interactions and relationships between teachers, students, and learning, and the unique curricular opportunities and outcomes provided by the NAO robot.

Investigating Profiles Of Lexical Quality In Preschool And Their Contribution To First Grade Reading, Kimberly A. Murphy

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This longitudinal study investigated profiles of lexical quality domains in preschool children and the extent to which profile membership predicted reading comprehension in first grade. A latent profile analysis was conducted to classify 420 preschool children on lexical quality domains, including orthography, phonology, morphosyntax, and vocabulary. Regression analysis was used to determine whether profile membership was associated with first grade outcomes across reading comprehension and its components (i.e., listening comprehension and word recognition). Results revealed five profiles of lexical quality which were predictive of all three outcomes in first grade. Children in low lexical quality profiles performed more poorly on …

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2015, James V. Koch, Vinod Agarwal, Barbara Blake-Gonzalez, Christopher B. Colburn, Vicky Curtis, Steve Daniel, Larry "Chip" Filer, Tim Komarek, Feng Lian, Sharon Lomax, Cheng Luo, Wolfgang Mairinger, Alice Mcadory, Katrina Miller-Stevens, Janet Molinaro, Gary Wagner, Douglas M. Walker, Luke Watson, Shara Weber

Economics Faculty Books

This is Old Dominion University's 16th annual State of the Region report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion or it's president, John R. Broderick. The report maintains the goal of stimulating thought and discussion that ultimately will make Hampton Roads an even better place to live. We are proud of our region's many successes, but realize that it is possible to improve our performance. In order to do so, we must have accurate information about "where we are" and a …

The Effects Of Incorporating Interactive Questioning During Shared Electronic Book Reading On Preschoolers' Comprehension, Lynda Gail Salmon

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential effects of parental interactive questioning during shared electronic book reading on preschoolers' comprehension outcomes and secondly to assess the effects of parent training on post-intervention parental interactive behaviors during shared electronic book reading. Four parent-child dyads participated in this seven week multiple baseline study. Participants were recruited from a suburban preschool in southeastern Virginia and child participants' ages ranged from 48 to 68 months ( M = 55.75). Pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments evaluated the child participants' comprehension skills and the parent-child dyad's interactive behaviors during shared electronic book reading. Child …

Implementing Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Strategies Using Children's Literature In The Urban Multicultural Preschool: Examining Teachers' Language Dialect Beliefs And Practices, Nicole Victoria Bailey Austin

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study examined preschool teachers' implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive strategies using children's literature in an urban multicultural preschool. Through a qualitative phenomenological design, this research aimed to expand understandings of language dialect and achievement in early childhood education and examine preschool teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices regarding identified home languages—African American Vernacular English and Hispanic American English, Academic Language, and code switching. The phenomenon under investigation was early childhood professionals' beliefs and frequency of home language dialect use within the classroom and implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive strategies within the classrooms of an urban multicultural preschool …

An Examination Of Teachers' Writing Self-Efficacy, First-Grade Students' Attitudes And Self-Efficacy In Writing, And Students' Writing Behaviors, Julie Bridget Mary Dashiell

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

Teachers' self-efficacy has been demonstrated to be an important construct linked to teacher competence (Goddard, Hoy, & Woolfolk Hoy, 2000; Graham & Perin, 2007). However, little is known about how teachers think about writing, particularly as it relates to their writing instruction and to writing tasks they assign to their young students. The purpose of this multiple methods inquiry was to explore teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and orientations about writing and to examine if these factors were connected to their writing instruction. This study also aimed to examine if students' self-efficacy and attitudes towards writing are connected to their classroom writing …

The Relationship Of Mobility, Child Characteristics And School Characteristics To The Academic Achievement Of Third Grade Students In A Predominantly Latino District, John Christopher Hicks

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

The high rates of mobility in the U.S. can produce negative consequences for children's academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine relationships among math and reading academic achievement, mobility characteristics, student characteristics, and school characteristics in order to develop a model to predict achievement using these variables. Using such a model, educational stakeholders could identify students that are at risk for academic failure. The study included 523 third grade students from a high poverty, predominantly Latino, suburban district. Correlation analyses, factor analyses, ordered linear regression, and forward regression analyses were used to determine the relationships among variables …

Recruiting, Engaging, And Retaining Low Income Parents In Community Parenting Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Jane Elyce Fuqua Glasgow

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

This study examined factors that impact recruitment, engagement, and retention of low-income parents in community parenting programs. Using a traditional qualitative phenomenological approach, this research sought to develop an understanding of the difficulties that program providers often encounter in engaging low-income parents. Participants included program stakeholders (providers, policy-makers, and funders) and low-income parents with children under the age of five from urban areas. A series of focus groups were held in order to capture the voices and develop a textural description of the lived experiences of participants. Results revealed that a combination of factors impact engagement, including the important role …

Using Interactive Reading Techniques With Word World To Enhance Emergent Literacy, James B. Godfrey

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

Facets of emergent literacy such as phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge (AK) are precursors to later conventional literacy (Dockrell, Stuart & King, 2010; Neuman & Dwyer, 2009; NELP, 2008). Interactive reading techniques such as dialogic reading (Whitehurst et al., 1988) and explicit print referencing (Piasta et al., 2012; Justice et al., 2010) have been used effectively with printed text to enhance emergent literacy. This quasi-experimental study was designed to determine the extent to which interactive reading techniques combined with the viewing of educational television may enhance facets of emergent literacy such as PA and AK. A convenience sample of …

Quality Profiles In Early Childhood: An Example From Virginia's Quality Rating Improvement System, Kathryn M. Squibb

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

Quality in early childhood settings has emerged as an important factor in determining whether the potential benefits of educational experiences before kindergarten will be realized. Research demonstrates that in order for such interventions to be beneficial to young children's development, the quality of their educational environments and experiences must be high. Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) are a method to assess, communicate, and improve the level of quality in early childhood settings. These rating systems have the potential to safeguard public investment by making programs accountable for quality, meet a consumer need for families seeking high quality care, and …

The Effect Of Public Pre-Kindergarten Attendance On First Grade Reading And Social Achievement: A District Level Analysis, Michael James Haslip

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between attending a school district Pre-K program and children's later literacy and behavior outcomes in the beginning and middle of first grade. Children's text level, letter-sound identification, sight words, spelling and citizenship skills were measured. The study included 880 children who attended the division Pre-K program and 176 children who attended no formal or institutional preschool of any kind. Selection bias was addressed through propensity score matching, completed using optimal matching. Independent-samples t tests were run on literacy and behavior measures. Subgroup analysis was performed to test the effect of …

Infinitival Clauses In Children With Typical And Late Language Emergence: Supporting A Dimensional Account Of Language Delay, Celeste Domsch, Corrin Richels, Maria Resendiz

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Children who do not speak single words by 2 years of age have been labeled as having late language emergence (LLE). While the majority of children with LLE recover by school-age, it has been argued that they often still perform below the level of their typical peers for specific linguistic skills. In this case, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) should consider language skills as varying along a dimension, rather than as simply impaired vs. unimpaired. To examine the dimensionality of language skill, this study compared infinitival clause production in 22 school-age children with and without LLE. The infinitive clauses were: catenatives, such …

Impact Of An Activity Mini-Schedule On The Inattention Of Preschoolers With Cochlear Implants During A Group Activity, Sharon A. Raver, Peggy Hester, Anne M.P. Michalek, Dana Cho, Nicole Anthony

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of using an activity mini-schedule which divided a circle time activity into four sub-activities with four preschoolers who were deaf and had received cochlear implants. Often preschoolers with cochlear implants display difficulty directing attention to appropriate stimuli during large group activities (Chute & Nevins, 2003). It was hypothesized that the use of an activity mini-schedule would decrease inattention. Using a multiple baseline design across participants, an activity mini-schedule was introduced to each participant sequentially by a paraeducator who sat behind the children during circle time. Participants' behaviors were videotaped and coded. The introduction of …

Effect Of Parallel Talk On The Language And Interactional Skills Of Preschoolers With Cochlear Implants And Hearing Aids, Sharon A. Raver, Jonna Bobzien, Corrin Richels, Peggy Hester, Anne Michalek, Nicole Anthony

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Children with profound congenital hearing loss often do not have the same prelinguistic opportunities for social and verbal interaction as their peers with typical hearing [14]. Consequently, language and social skills may be challenging for this group, even after they are provided with amplification or a cochlear implant. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of using a parallel talk intervention to increase the language and interactional skills of three preschoolers with deafnesss. Results revealed that all participants increased verbal turn-taking and that two of the three increased initiated and responded vocal/verbal comments, and initiated and responded nonverbal responses during a …

Kindergarten Teachers' Classroom Management Beliefs And Practices And Their Implications On Students' Social And Academic Outcomes, Lauren D. Florin

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this study was to utilize Baumrind's parenting style construct, with early childhood educators, as classroom management styles by assessing the proportion of classroom management styles of Virginia Association of Early Childhood Education (VAECE) educators, and secondly to assess classroom management beliefs and practices of among urban kindergarten teachers in addition to examining whether those differing classroom management styles impacted students' social and academic skills. The study investigated the proportion of classroom management styles of VAECE educators using an online questionnaire and used a case study approach with nine kindergarten teachers to better understand the teachers' classroom management …

Parent Interventionists In Phonodialogic Emergent Reading With Preschool Children, Sabra B. Gear

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine an activity-based intervention, dialogic reading with embedded explicit phonological awareness strategies, applied as a preventive approach by parents in their home settings located within a culturally and ethnically diverse urban region. This study investigated the effects of training parents to employ a phonodialogic activity-based emergent reading intervention protocol to increase the phonological awareness skills of their 4- and 5-year old children. Helping young children learn phonological awareness skills are vitally important to the development of early reading (Anthony & Lonigan, 2004; Ziolkowski & Goldstein, 2008). This investigation provided an empirical examination of …

Predictors Of Developmental Screenings For Young Children, Janice Chandler Ranne

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study examines the usefulness of the New Model of Children's Health and its Influences for the identification of predictors for health service effectiveness. Health service effectiveness is measured by probability estimations of whether young children receive formal or informal developmental screenings. Screenings lead to prevention of communication delays in later childhood. Formal screenings with standardized questions are preferred over informal screenings, which are knowledgeable observations. The theoretical framework is a child-centered socio-ecological theory that is untested for use in health service effectiveness studies until the present one. Four developmental concepts of the theoretical framework, social environment, physical environment, biological …

An Examination Of The Reading First Program At A Southeastern Virginia Elementary School And The Impact On K–2 Student Reading Achievement, Leslie Ford Lippard

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Reading First was a federal initiative aimed at improving reading instruction and implementing programs and strategies grounded in scientifically-based reading research. The legislation was predicated on research findings that high-quality reading instruction and intervention in the primary grades significantly reduces the numbers of students who experience difficulties in later grades. This study examined the Reading First program at an elementary school in southeastern Virginia from 2006-2008. Specifically, the researcher investigated the impact of the independent variable, the tier three model of intervention on K-2 student reading achievement. Quantitative data was garnered from 792 K-2 student participants attending the research site. …

Teaching Social And Emotional Competence In Early Childhood, Rita Coombs Richardson, Steve P. Myran, Steve Tonelson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the impact of a social skills curriculum on the social behaviors of students in two pre-kindergarten classrooms. Participating were 30 students in a program based at a university child study center. The average age of the participants was four years ten months. The income levels of the families varied from low social economic status to high middle economic status. Two examiners independently completed the Social Skills and Attitude Scale (SSAS) for each child. The examiners observed the children and recorded children's pre and post intervention behaviors on a checklist. The study yielded positive evidence that the social …

The Impact Of The 101s: A Guide To Positive Discipline Teacher Training On Teacher Interaction Practices, Teacher-Child Relationship Quality, School Adjustment, And Academic Outcomes In Kindergarten Classrooms In Bangkok, Thailand, Panadda Thanasetkorn

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

While a great body of research evidence in the United States shows the impact of positive teacher interactions on teacher-child relationship quality and beneficial school outcomes for young children, it is not clear how Thai children would respond to the kind of interactional and social-emotional practices of American teachers. In this research, teacher training through The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline (The 101s, Kersey, 2006) was implemented in kindergarten classrooms in Bangkok, Thailand. The purpose of the study was (a) to investigate the impact of The 101s teacher training on changes in teacher interaction practices, teacher-child relationship …

The Impact Of The 101s: A Guide To Positive Discipline Parent Training: A Case Study Of Kindergarteners And Their Parents In Bangkok, Thailand, Piyavalee Thanasetkorn

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

To reduce using corporal punishment with children, the need to introduce alternative ways for parent practices has been requested by Thai parents. However, empirical research of parents' use of positive practices to discipline their young children has been limited in Thailand. Given the effectiveness of positive discipline as an accepted method in order to improve children's social and academic competencies in U.S., a cultural extension of positive discipline techniques to Thai culture is of interest. This study investigated the effectiveness of The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline training on Thai positive parenting skills to increase the quality of …

Reactive Attachment Disorder: Challenges For Early Identification And Intervention Within The Schools, Kimberly K. Floyd, Peggy Hester, Harold C. Griffin, Jeannie Golden, Lora Lee Smith Canter

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Attachment is of key importance in childhood development. The quality of attachment relationship between the child and parent/primary caregiver may have an effect on the child and future relationships and social success (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998). When a child fails to bond with a caring adult, attachment becomes disordered and children may not be able to bond appropriately or at all with other people. This inability to relate and connect with others may disrupt or arrest not only children's social development, but also their overall development. The purpose of this review is to synthesize information and research on characteristics, …

The Impact Of The 101s: A Guide To Positive Discipline Training On Teacher Interaction Practices, Attitudes, And Prosocial Skill Outcomes In Preschool Classrooms, Marie Louise Talayco Masterson

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

This study investigated the impact of The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline on teachers of preschool Title 1 children. Current research supports the impact of responsive social emotional support and positive teacher-child interactions on both short and long term social and academic outcomes, with specific remediating benefits for children most at risk of school failure. The 101s training and materials evaluated in this study included ten principles/skills to support respectful, responsive interactions hypothesized to support positive prosocial skill responding. Training was provided to 34 teachers with control and experimental groups. Analysis of quantitative pre and post observation data found …

Primary Teachers' Knowledge And Knowledge Calibration Of Early Literacy Practices, Tami Al-Hazza, Charlene Fleener, Jane Hager

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This research design was based on the knowledge calibration work by Cunningham, Perry, Stanovich, and Stanovich (2004). One hundred and forty-one full time teachers participated in a four day professional development workshop on research-based reading instruction. Participants were administered a three-part survey comprised of 1) demographic information 2) knowledge calibration items measuring perceived understanding of phonics, phonological awareness, and syllabication and 3) phonics pretest published in Self-Paced Phonics: A Text for Educators (2005). There were statistically significant differences between participants who rated their knowledge as high and those who rated their knowledge as low on the phonological and phonics items. …

Early Intervention With Children At Risk Of Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: A Critical Examination Of Research Methodology And Practices, Peggy P. Hester, Heather M. Baltodano, Robert A. Gable, Stephen W. Tonelson, Jo M. Hendrickson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Children's behavior problems pose challenges to families, schools, and society. The research literature argues that early detection/intervention is the most powerful course of action in ameliorating these problems in children at risk of emotional/behavioral disorders. However, specifying precisely what constitutes a quality program of early intervention is not a simple task. Current conceptualizations suggest that successful early intervention cannot be unidimensional in nature, but must consist of a complex series of interactions and transactions that synergistically serve to nurture and enhance both the development of the child and family. In this paper, we reviewed the accumulated research to learn more …

Evaluation Of A Distance Learning Program For The Preparation Of Special Education Teachers, Tami Seifert

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of the distance learning Commonwealth Special Education Endorsement Program (CSEEP) delivered by Old Dominion University. The CSEEP program was designed to address economic and geographic barriers confronting teachers seeking to complete requirements for endorsement in special education, improve the quality of education teachers, help reduce the shortage of fully licensed special education teachers, and increase teacher retention in special education.

This evaluation was designed to assess program results, examine the effectiveness of the program, and determine the impact on both the participants and the schools, and identify ways to …

Reviewing Software As A Means Of Enhancing Instruction, Marcus D. Childress, Guang-Lea Lee, Gregory P. Sherman

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

A software review procedure developed by the authors is described. The procedure centers around a form that extends the functionality of traditional software evaluation forms by enhancing the use of the computer software in the early childhood classroom. The form encourages teachers to discover ways a piece of software can be integrated across disciplines and used as an anchor for instruction. Users of the review form are also encouraged to examine ways the software motivates the user to remain engaged in its use. The majority of the review form emphasizes the important role of the teacher in identifying outcomes or …

The Influence Of An Early Childhood Program On The Academic Achievement, Attendance, And Attitudes Of Urban At-Risk Students, Daisy Mccray Murphy

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an early childhood preschool program on the achievement, attendance, and attitudes of at-risk students in an urban Southeastern school division in Virginia. The study compared two groups of Title I eligible four-year-olds, those who participated (n = 88) and those who did not non-participate (n = 54), in a preschool program. A review of the literature revealed that early intervention efforts have addressed the school success dilemma for at-risk students with varying degrees of effectiveness. Increased attention toward the implementation of developmentally appropriate learning environments have afforded at-risk students …