Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Reframing Education And The Classroom As A Safe Space, Lily Padilla

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This paper asks us to reimagine education and our classrooms as safe spaces for children. Children spend at least 1,000 hours a year in schools. They should spend those hours feeling like they have the freedom to dream, imagine, grow, take risks, and make mistakes. Furthermore, everyone deserves to be in a space that welcomes, accepts, and celebrates who they are. This means recognizing who they were, who they are, and who they can become. Children’s complex identities and humanity must be recognized in schools to come to know each child fully. When we lead with love, respect, and empathy, …

Children's Agency Through The Lens Of A Love Ethic: The Radical Imaginary, Zoe Kim

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

The lack of agency available to minoritized children in the classroom is indicative of systemic racism in education. Opposing this structural issue necessitates a multi-dimensional love ethic that is capable of transcending the classroom and breaking from the history of exclusion observed in this country. This research aims to contribute to that reality by creating a foothold for the radical imaginary of what education could become. Outlining this segregation by experience across the ecological systems of a child’s life, the project begins with an examination of recent research in conjunction with current events. Then, in looking at the chrono and …

Exploring And Incorporating Music In The Classroom, Ella Aiges

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This paper is an exploration into the benefits that incorporating music into various aspects of the classroom can bring students. Music has been a part of life and culture since the first civilizations. Each generation, the traditions, and practices are passed down to the next. Over time, music and the way we teach it have transformed. The importance that society places on music has also evolved. However, the benefits that music brings have not. Research has shown that the brain reacts to music and stimulates learning. There are several developmental and psychological impacts that music can have on the mind. …

Early Childhood Care: A Comparative Analysis Of Preferred Practices, Shaija A. Mills

Child Development Theses

This thesis paper aims to investigate and compare the preferred practices in early childhood education and care (ECEC) across four categories: public/universal, private, outdoor, and daycare or family/in-home care. The study utilized online surveys and interviews with parents/guardians of 3-6 year old children and program directors serving children within the same age range. The primary objective was initially to identify best practices in early childhood care. However, as the study progressed, it became evident that the different approaches to early childhood education and care offered unique and valuable contributions. The research shifted from there to an exploration of the substance …

Labels In Learning: An Exploration Of The Effects Of Cognitive, Intellectual, And Social Labels On Connections In The Classroom, Corinne Alexander

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This paper is a testament to the negative impacts that cognitive, intellectual, and social labels have on connections in the classroom, both by way of students’ identities as learners and access to education. Labels pervade schools and exclude children from exploring, wondering, and making due to students’ identities and educators’ perceptions of their social interactions and academic performance. Whether intentional or not, giving students labels based on their cognitive, intellectual, and social abilities and performance creates separation and allows for maltreatment of students based on who does and does not have certain labels. As educators it is essential that we …

Positioning Play As Abolition, Kathryn Troutman

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This thesis argues that play-centered, abolitionist classrooms are necessary so that all students can thrive. The current American education system disproportionately harms Black students and is inextricably linked to the Prison Industrial Complex. Abolitionist teaching calls for the tearing down of systems of oppression and the creation of new spaces and institutions that center Black joy. Play is abolition because through play, children develop an awareness of the possibility and the right of freedom. This work outlines the necessity of abolition and the importance of play, followed by examples of play as abolition, and concludes with a vision for my …

Rethinking Power In The Classroom, Evangelyn Santana

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

When the No Child Left Behind Act and then the Everyone Succeeds Act were signed into law, our educational system began to function on the notion that education is merely preparation for standardized tests. The high-stakes nature of standardized-tests has pushed the narrative that this form of education is what makes children “successful” in life. Under-performing schools are in jeopardy of losing funding and face the possibility of school closures. Our educational system tells teachers they must participate in the “banking model of education” to avoid the blame for the possibility of these repercussions. Paulo Freire describes it as the …

Our Children, Their Stories: Storytelling In The Classroom, Malik Torres

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

My Master’s Thesis is about children and their stories. It seeks to understand story creation in the classroom and connect it to the cultivation of the broader classroom community. Here, storytelling is understood in its five forms: reading stories, oral storytelling, drawing stories, writing stories, and acting out stories. What threads these forms together is classroom community. In my thesis, I focus on a concept called “the narrative classroom.” A narrative classroom makes space for both play and storytelling; it incorporates the multi-modal process of literacy into a classroom environment centering children and their stories as official knowledge. Most importantly, …

A Call For Strength-Based Teaching, Molly Weinberg

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

Teaching practices centering a deficit lens of the child do not provide the space needed for every child to thrive in the American public education system today. This is why I call for strength-based teaching. A strength-based approach to teaching calls for the decentering of deficits and the centering of strengths, knowing our students, the room to make mistakes, freedom from labeling, acceptance and value of all student differences while simultaneously honoring all student knowledge as official knowledge, and the centering of marginalized voices. Our school system today relies primarily on state standards and standardized testing to measure intelligence, forcing …

Community And Connection In The Classroom, Denise Crystal

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

Connection and community can motivate children and adults to come to the classroom. These relationships can enhance learning in a number of ways. Not only do they bring joy, but they help children feel safe and a sense of belonging helping create an environment that is conducive to learning. A strong teacher-student relationship encourages and fosters learning. This connection is weakened when teachers use punishments, rewards and labels such as troublemaker that isolate students from the community. Community and connection can be fostered through true listening, reflective literature, story acting, open-ended play, and sharing with the community during circle time. …

The Power Of Play In Education, Alexandra Naclerio

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

At its current state, the educational system in America seems doomed with its single-minded, single-method approach to education. Educational systems in many parts of the world are formally instructed with a huge emphasis on teaching to the tests. Despite an understanding of the importance of exploration in the classroom, play is not seen as learning. When teachers aim to include play in their classroom, often children are not playing at all. In relationship to that debate, I argue that play is the essence of any classroom.

The research I have completed has provided me with articles and field experience that …

The Importance Of Visibility In Curriculum And Teaching Practice, Jasmine Bailey

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

I am arguing that it is absolutely necessary for all teachers and administration to see the importance of making all children visible and valued and that they should include this idea into their curriculum plans and teaching practices. Despite the focus on representation, visibility in the curriculum is still lacking. I will detail how visibility is affected by the differences in how children learn, children who have experienced trauma and power dynamics and oppression.

This thesis will aim to express and display the value that all children should be made visible in the classroom. This includes all backgrounds and ethnicities …

How Manipulatives In The Classroom Engage Students In Learning, Catherine Mindish

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

The use of manipulatives inside the classroom at any age benefits the students in a variety of ways. This research examined different lesson plans, professional literature, and discussions on both the benefits and challenges of teaching with manipulatives. Ultimately this study finds that manipulatives benefit students, by supporting the development of skills they will use inside and outside of the classroom. Additionally, because manipulatives foster engagement in the learning process, teachers will reap additional benefits and students develop a positive attitude toward learning.

What's Love Got To Do With It? The Importance Of Love And Compassion In Education, Alexa Goldberg

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

Everyone has that one teacher that they remember forever. That impacted them in a way no other teacher ever has. That encouraged, motivated, cared and influenced them in the classroom to be the best learner they can be and achieve anything they set their mind to.

Love is shown in different ways in the classroom. The way an elementary school teacher shows love is very different from the way a high school or college professor shows love to their students. Every teacher has their own unique way of showing love to their students. Instead of trying to tell teachers how …

Equitable Strategies: Broadening Opportunities For Students In Public Education, Anthony Ellis

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that public education is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms. Despite the ruling, the American education system is still not equitable for all students. Children of color (Black, Latino, Native Americans) or of lower income are more likely to jump over several hurdles to get to the finish line. Meanwhile, white and wealthy children will cross the finish line without going through a single hurdle. The hurdles begin at early childhood and the final hurdle is college graduation. Some of these disparities include racial bias, the burden of …

The Negative Effect Labeling Has On Students' Relationship With Education, Mikayla Cunningham

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

Labeling students is a common practice in modern education but it is harmful to the relationship between the student and their learning process. I will first provide a clear definition and provide examples of labeling. I will show however innocuous or scientific a label may seem, it can have detrimental, lingering negative effects on a child’s relationship with their schooling. I will then demonstrate through real-life case studies the experience of students that have both been labeled and have not been labeled, showing the exact labels that were applied to the students, their educational progress, and how the labeling directly …

The Need For Spanish In Mainstream Classrooms: A Celebratory Reclamation Of Linguistic Identity, Keila Torres

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This paper is a testament to the sociocultural importance of bilingualism in mainstream U.S. classrooms, specifically pertaining to the Spanish language and communities in which there is a large percentage of Spanish speakers. Approximately 13% of Americans are native Spanish speakers, this is equivalent to 40 million people. States like Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas can boast populations that include over 1 million Hispanic people (United States Census Bureau, 2019). However, our school curriculums do not reflect the large percentage of Spanish-speaking students who roam their hallways. I argue that traditional …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Young Children's Education - Exploring The Compatibility Of Combining Progressive Education With Online Learning, Yini Li

Child Development Theses

The COVID-19 outbreak at the end of 2019 forced most schools around the world to move their classrooms online. This research takes the progressive education of young children as the basic educational concept and attempts to explore the compatibility of online education and progressive education of young children through interviews with educators in the United States and China. By understanding how online teaching occurred through interviews with early childhood teachers who implemented it during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the decisions and opinions of school administrators, this study compares the different teaching measures taken by early childhood teachers in the United …

Lived Experiences Of Young Adults Who Had A Sibling With Cancer In Childhood, Brittany Lawton

Child Development Theses

Childhood cancer affects not only the patient but also the family, including siblings. Often siblings are given less attention and must adapt to drastic life changes in isolation, potentially leading to long-term effects in adulthood. This study explores the influence of childhood cancer on identities of young adults who were children when their siblings were diagnosed with cancer. Ten participants completed semi-structured interviews that described their experiences with childhood cancer as well as their perspectives of the impact it has had on their current lives and identities. Two themes emerged with several subthemes from the 10 participants about the processing …

Empathy At Work In A Social Service Agency: Individual Experiences And Systems Theory, Marjorie H. Blann

Child Development Theses

This thesis explores empathy within interpersonal relationships at a social service organization. I conducted a research study to explore theoretical concepts and individuals’ experiences of these concepts in their work setting at a social service agency in New York City. I conducted observations and interviews through a lens of ecological systems theory and the relationalcultural approach. In this paper I review guiding concepts of empathy, attunement, and compassion fatigue, as well as the Sanctuary model. I share first-person accounts from interviews conducted during the research study to explicate individuals’ experiences related to the above concepts in their own words. I …

A Model For A Progressive Preschool Approach In Ghana, Ruth Djarbeng

Child Development Theses

In recent years, Ghana has made strides to meet international mandates for early childhood education. With the implementation of the Early Childhood Care policy in 2004, Ghana has made attempts to provide holistic care for children 0-8 years. This thesis will be two-fold: the first part will consist of the progress Ghana has made in the years since the policy’s implementation in getting children ready for primary(grade) school. The second portion of the thesis is a proposal to the Government of Ghana (specifically, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Ministry of Education) on a preschool approach novel …

More Than Adversity: Poverty As A Source Of Potential Trauma In Children And Adolescents, Coreen Knowles

Child Development Theses

Poverty has long been understood to be detrimental to developing children. While is it commonly viewed solely as a risk factor for experiencing other traumas, I argue here that poverty should be seen as a traumatic factor in and of itself. To support this claim, I explore several systemic and individual aspects of living in poverty which can cause significant harm to children and adolescents. Topics addressed include housing, foster care, stress as a mediator of parenting, and chronic and toxic stress in children. I also address the effects of poverty on social workers and the practical implications of viewing …

Community Adventure Play Experience (Cape) Toolkit, Sarah Lawrence College Child Development Institute

CAPE Toolkit

No abstract provided.

Exploring Race, Culture, And Identity Among Chinese Adoptees: “China Dolls,” “Bananas,” And “Honorary Whites”, Soleil S. Groh

Child Development Theses

When exploring culture, race, and identity, Chinese adoptees in the United States often can face numerous emotions, ranging from confusion, to curiosity, to celebratory. From honoring Chinese holidays, to wearing American-style clothing, to being called a "banana", adoptees have a unique set of experiences when trying to navigate what it means to be Chinese, Chinese-American, and American. Through a series of interviews conducted with ten adult female Chinese adoptees within the U.S., this study investigates key themes related to cultural and racial identity formation. Key themes included exploring the different aspects of Chinese culture participants were exposed to, instances of …

Theory Of Mind And False Belief In Two-Year-Olds: The Smiling Butterfly Is Happy, Simone Forsberg

Child Development Theses

Theory of mind refers to the ability to conceive of the mental lives that underlie behavior — an ability that supports virtually all interpersonal interaction. The development of theory of mind has been attributed to various cognitive, social and environmental factors. The possession of theory of mind in toddlers has been a widely disputed topic, viewed as contingent on their understanding of false-belief as demonstrated in a standard false-belief task. However, recent studies suggest that the standard task may be a weak indicator for various reasons. It may not encompass what young children are truly capable of. Some research shows …

A Reflection On How Children With Insecure Attachments In Foster Care Experience Trauma, Khadija Bleasdell

Child Development Theses

Attachment and the impact of trauma on children in foster care are reviewed and discussed from my relational perspective as a therapist. I draw upon my clinical experiences with three children in foster care who experienced some form of neglect. One child engaged in play to express her experiences of trauma, another child embodied a very mature stance to feel accepted by adults, while another child struggled with impulse control, fluctuating between being withdrawn and overly aggressive. Attachment theory as well as the implications of trauma are reviewed and discussed through the relation to my experiences with my clients during …

Pathways To Empowerment: A Social Work Student’S Reflection On Anti-Oppressive Clinical Social Work Practice, Katelyn Necastro

Child Development Theses

There is increasing attention being provided to the experience of marginalized and oppressed communities in the U.S. The rise of public awareness of societal issues coincides with considerable attention in the social work community on providing direct practice care to clients that fully incorporates the social justice aims of the profession. Using the history of the profession of social work and core anti-oppressive practice and concepts, this reflection touches on incorporating an anti-oppressive framework into modern clinical social work practice. Case narratives on my internship with adolescent females in a high school in Brooklyn assist in depicting the process of …

How The Foster Care System Impacts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt), Anna Bratushevskaya

Child Development Theses

The number of children in foster care is growing at an alarming rate, and finding families who are willing and able to care for these traumatized children is not an easy task. Children land in foster care due to extreme traumatizing circumstances in the homes of their biological parents. It is therefore not surprising that these children have a higher incidence of psychological problems than their peers living with their biological parents. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an umbrella term under which trauma-based cognitive therapy (TF-CBT) falls. Both CBT and TF-CBT show excellent results in treating children with serious psychological …

The Circle Of Play: A Cross-Cultural-Study Of Teachers’ Views Of Play Before And After Observing A Community Adventure Play Experience, Andrea Davis

Child Development Theses

This thesis looks at how teachers from Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and the United States viewed play before and after observing children participating in a Community Adventure Play Experience (CAPE). A CAPE is a play experience that utilizes “loose parts” (materials that can be played with and used to create, but are not traditional toys, i.e. tires, sticks, boxes, etc.) instead of manufactured toys and play equipment. In many schools, children are being allowed fewer and fewer opportunities to play as teachers try to cram more and more academic material into the school day. However, all of the literature suggests that …

Bridging Play And Social Interaction In Young Children With Language Delays, Angela Miller

Child Development Theses

Children tend to develop skills in specific trajectories that have been heavily researched and theorized. However, some children exhibit delays in their development which then might have effects on other skills and areas of development. This paper will outline the typical developmental stages that children go through in terms of their physical, cognitive, social-emotional, language and play development. It will also detail a child’s development of play skills and how other areas of development, with special focus on social-emotional and language development, contribute to acquisition of play skills and, alternatively, how play development often contributes to progression of development in …