Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Water In Our Neighborhood A Study Of The Neighborhood With A Focus On Water An Integrated Curriculum For Six And Seven Year Old Children, Simone Graniela

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This unit was developed and created for children as an interdisciplinary study for a New York City public school setting in the Bronx. Through trips, children learn about the goods and services provided as well as the various ways water is used within the neighborhood The curriculum allows for many opportunities for parents to be partners in their children's education which is emphasized throughout the lesson plans provided.

Sibling Rivalry, Elana Peninah Pamm

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Independent Study was inspired by the creation of the children's book Sometimes, I Hate My Brother. The book was written to help children understand that when their brothers or sisters hurt them it isn't their fault, and also to become more aware of the harm caused by them if they hurt their siblings. Family interactions can bring up feelings in children that may overwhelm and confuse them. The book was written with the goal of helping children understand the repercussions of their actions and deal with their feelings when sibling problems exist.

Basic Needs: A First Grade Curriculum Study, John Heffernan

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following first grade curriculum study is an investigation of food, shelter and services in the neighborhood surrounding the school. The activities incorporate hands-on research, discussion, and expressive materials to offer opportunities for children to discover the interdependence and relationships that exist in their immediate environment. The three units of food, shelter and community services have specific goals, and they are:

Food -Investigate how markets, stores and restaurants provide food for the neighborhood, where the food comes from and how it gets to Park Slope.

Shelter - Investigate how and where people house themselves in the neighborhood and what are …

Going Home: The Relevance Of Philippine Folktale To Early Childhood Education, Eleanor A. Rivera

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study focuses on the value of introducing Philippine folktales to children of Filipino heritage. The primary objective in this project is to demonstrate how Philippine folktales can serve as a potent vehicle for taking American-born Filipino children home, that is teaching them about their roots and celebrating their cultural identity. I believe that by recognizing their Filipino heritage the children gain a fuller appreciation of and pride in their uniqueness as well as the interest and ability to share aspects of their culture with other children. It is my hope that consideration of their own cultural identity will help …

From Bulbs To Flowers, Elizabeth Vazquez

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this thesis, I first developed the notion of a bulb as a means of introducing science to young children (ages five to eight).

First, bulb experiments were implemented. After a literature search, it was discovered that few books introduce scientific concepts with a storyline for young children. Therefore, I developed such a book in the process of writing the thesis. Lesson plans on bulbs for teachers were also developed and can be used in conjunction with the book or independently.

A Case Study Of A Child Who Is Speech Impaired, Dia Peralto-Ortiz

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This case study is that of a five year old child who is Speech Impaired. It is written by his former teacher who incorporated her first year's work with him, a year of 'play sessions' and present school experiences with research to create an Independent Study.

The areas covered by this study include: Description of Child, Review of the Literature, Family and Developmental History, School History, Play Sessions, Summary, Recommendations and a Bibliography. The Appendices contain the actual educational assessments of this child, from when he began school to the present. these include Speech and Language Evaluation, Psychological Evaluations, his …

Christmas In The Philippines, Lourdes Catherine S. Miras

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This is a description of Christmas traditions in the Philippines. It includes a story of a Christmas celebration in Manila today which depicts the cultural traditions of Filipinos: the native's close family ties, the Spaniard's strong Catholic influence, and the American's "white Christmas." The story is especially created for young Filipino children and for anyone who may be interested in learning about the Filipinos.

Peds Path: A Journey From Home To The Hospital And Back Home: A Game To Orient Preschool Children To The Hospital Settings, Leslie May

Graduate Student Independent Studies

With all of the cutbacks in the health care system children entering hospitals today have very few planned admissions, with an increasing large number of patients entering the hospital through the emergency room. As a result of this there are many children today who are entering the hospital with absolutely no preparation. This lack of preparation leads children to develop their own ideas and notions about just what the hospital experience will be like. These misconceptions or fears regarding illness or treatment may develop into incredible anxieties which often end up making the hospital experience much more difficult and scary …

The Language/Literacy Connection: Aiding The Dysnomic Reader, Danette Lipten

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study examines word-finding difficulties in the oral language of children and their impact on literacy learning. It presents suggestions for remediation in both domains, but focuses primarily on aiding the dysnomic reader. Specific strategies are discussed which are applicable to the teaching of normal emergent readers and that can be particularly useful to readers experiencing retrieval problems. A brief case study is presented of a child who is affected by dysnomia, along with a description of the author's work with this child. Appendices include games and sample lessons.

Ichthyosis: A Teacher's Manual, Deborah Brewster Vilas

Graduate Student Independent Studies

"Ichthyosis: A manual For Teachers" addresses the needs of children born with a rare, congenital skin disorder. Not unlike children with cancer, asthma or diabetes, children with ichthyosis have special needs regarding their physical comfort and safety in the educational setting. This manual addresses these needs along the developmental continuum. Using Erik Erikson's eight stages of man as a guideline, this manual addresses the physical, medical and psychosocial needs of the ichthyotic child from infancy through adolescence.

Included in this manual is an explanation of the disorder, it's symptoms and treatments. Practical tips for day care workers, teachers, school nurses …

The Good Pre-School Teacher: A Report From The Classroom, Bill Ayers

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis examines the practices and competencies that contribute to effective preschool teaching.

"I Did It!": Sewing With Young Children, Carole Harmon

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper looks at sewing in a Montessori-based Open Classroom of twenty to twenty-four young children ages three to six. It is an attempt to at least partially answer the question: "What makes a good classroom work?" or "What are the elements that underlie the complex inter­play of child, teacher and prepared environment that enables children to grow in a particular learning place?"

The Teacher's Role In The Separation-Individuation Process: An Examination Of This Role During Separation In Nursery School, Roberta Altman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

One of the aims of this study is to discover how a pre-school child's personal relationship with her teacher is related to her ability to adjust to school and to learn in the classroom. Theoretical as well as observational material has been used in an attempt to shed light on the nature of teacher, child and parent interaction in the first days of a child's school experience.

"The Family" As A Core Curriculum For A Nursery-Kindergarten Class, Marcy Zweig

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The curriculum described uses the central theme of "the family" as a core idea to connect and organize different areas of knowledge such as language arts, science, music, etc. The curriculum was implemented in a nursery-kindergarten class in a small, private elementary school in Manhattan. The class was a mixed age grouping of three, four, and five year olds. The first chapter describes a philosophy of education based on the philosophy and writing of John Dewey. The second chapter looks at the developmental level of the age group, based on the theories of Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget. The third …

A Surprisingly Special Summer : A Story For Eight-To Ten-Year-Old Children, Connie Biewald

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A Surprisingly Special Summer is a story for children from about eight to ten years old. It's an earthbound fantasy, a story that takes place in the real world but involves a fantastical character and gives an account of the events caused by her presence. The fantastical character is Allura, a tiny person discovered by two children in a fortune cookie. She spends an exciting and growth-filled summer with them. They have many adventures and learn a great deal from one another.

A Math Program For The Third Grade, Dolores Gitlin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This is a study of a math curriculum designed for a third grade class in a departmentalized setting. The children in the class were below average in math skills for this school and had little or no enjoyment from math. This paper shows the methods used to give the children a more positive outlook towards math while also building their skills. The paper includes descriptions of games and extensive samples of work sheets used.

A Descriptive Analysis Of A College Day Care Center, Rena N. Rice

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a descriptive analysis of a college day care center, situated on the campus of one of the community colleges of the City University of New York, which services the pre-school children of full-time matriculated day students. The Center is administered by the student-parents, under the supervision and guidance of the faculty Coordinator, who is a professor in the Department of Student Services. The teaching staff consists of a New York State certified Teacher-Director and Group Teacher, and an Assistant Teacher, all full-time, and numerous part-time work­study student aides.

Chapter I contains a review of the literature on …

Educational Change In A School Mandated "Open": As Seen Through The Eyes Of An Advisor, Helaine R. Meisler

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a study of educational change as I observed it during my experience as an advisor in a public school in East Harlem. I had been hired by Creative Teaching Workshop as an advisor in its Advisory Service program. Schools which were involved in the program received two full days per week of advisory time.

British Education: Infant And Junior Levels, Ann Bucken

Graduate Student Independent Studies

No abstract provided.

This Is The Mother, This Is The Father, This Is The Child., Cheryl Hawkins Johnson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The River : Social Studies As The Core Of The Curriculum For Five And Six Year Olds, Carol Yahr Tucker

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Using social studies as the core of the curriculum is an effective educational framework for five and six year olds. When this curriculum starts with the children's life experiences and goes on to study some aspect of their community or environment, children can begin to understand the interconnectedness of the adult world. Young children feel the excitement of learning when they immerse themselves in a study; they find that learning can be a vital process related to their needs and experiences, rather than a dry transfer of skills and pre-existing bodies of knowledge.

Learning Through Expressive And Representational Experiences In Social Studies : Eight-And-Nine-Year-Olds Study The Netsilik Eskimos, Joan Cenedella

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following paper is the record of a study of the Netsilik Eskimos that took place in a group of twenty-five eight and nine-year-olds in 1973. Included in the paper are a description of the school, the classroom, and the children involved; a brief discussion of the overarching concepts inherent in the content of the study; a record of the ways in which the study was presented to children; and finally, a detailed description of the children's work. The point is made throughout the paper that the children learned through expressive experience in the study and that this expressive experience …

The Integration Of Affective And Cognitive Concerns In Educational Programs, Elaine Avidon

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The social and political confrontations of the 1960's forced public school educators to reassess many of their values. Among the crucial issues which resurfaced as a result of this reassess­ment was the basic question of why some students were learning while others were not. This independent project addresses itself to that question. In particular, it presents one approach .which, when used responsibly, can alter the patterns of non-· learning that exist for so many young people attending schools today.

The integration of affective and cognitive concerns has been written about by many educators. It is also the topic of this …

Humanizing Learning Through Open Classroom Procedures And Self Discovery Methods (A Personal View), Mamie Gumbs

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper explores humanized learning, the open classroom procedures and self-discovery methods.

Beginning An Open Classroom In A Public School: A Personal Experience, Donna C. Degaetani

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper describes the author's interest in the concept of open education. The author includes background information on the history of the open classroom program's inception and development.

A Descriptive Study Of An Approach To Teaching Reading In An Open Classroom, Helen Haratonik

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following is a descriptive study of a reading program that was designed in Public School 3 in Greenwich Village.

Designing And Implementing Open Workshop Education At Bank Street College Of Education, Stanley Chu

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Bank Street College of Education needs to design and implement an expanded program of open workshop education. Increased input of staff, scheduled time, and equipment is necessary for this implementation.

Open workshop education offers help, time and facilities where a teacher can be involved with learning concepts using a combination of materials and skills. In addition, it can also function as an opportunity to continue and further develop ideas and skills initiated in other classes or from one's own school or classroom.

Child's-Eye View, Roberta H. Harris

Graduate Student Independent Studies

No abstract provided.

A Social Studies Core Program On The American Negro, Ruth Heit

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper deals with a social studies cur­riculum designed for a group of 30 sixth grade children in a New York City public school. The children were in the slowest class on the grade and performed from one to three years below grade level in reading, arithmetic, and work-study skills.

An Examination Of The Writings Of Margaret Wise Brown With Special Reference To Uses Of Fantasy And Reality, Virginia Schonborg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Here, in this section, where we shall examine the idea of fantasy in relation to the particular way that Margaret Wise Brown employed it in her writing, these five lines from "The Dream Book" epitomize her point of view. Unlike many writers of the sensory perception school, she does not present only the recording of "plink, plink, the water in the sink." Her own particular view sees the world as it is; is almost in love with it. Yet she seems to see the world with a sensitivity to the magic in it, as we shall see further on discussing …