Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Understanding The Expressive Cartoon Drawings Of A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michael S. Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the highly expressive comic drawings of Amy, a child with autism. This study connects larger fields of research: the study of how people with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] process faces and emotions; and, research about artists with ASD. Amy's understanding of emotion was analyzed by asking her to view and identify humans and cartoon characters expressing different emotions. Her ability to illustrate emotion is tested by asking her to respond to various drawing prompts. The study concluded that Amy has difficulty identifying the emotions of humans and cartoons, but she does have the ability to illustrate …

Read-In Arts, An Liu

Theses and Dissertations

As interior designers, we strive to design everything for our clients, from complex environments to the joinery of a chair. We rarely consider inviting our clients or the users to join us in finishing the space.

Read-In workshop is not a school, but a kind of home, a home belonging to children, which provides the possibilities for children to play, to learn, to occupy, to personalize, and to share. An emotional space that will not limit the user, but keep inspiring them. It helps children notice, think, and grow.

Half of the interior space will be a fixed design, designed …

Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies To Improve Early Elementary Comprehension Skills, Deborah S. Cirincione

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information to educators about teaching strategies used in the classroom. The researcher opened up a survey to Early Elementary Reading teachers so
they can provide their input in an anonymous manner so as to get as much information as possible so others can find this narrative, qualitative research useful in their careers. The writer researched scholarly and peer-reviewed journals, as well as, commonly used resources such as government websites to acquire and report recent practices of early elementary reading strategies used in classrooms. The study was of qualitative nature, and the survey was …

The Effects Of Laughter Yoga On Second Grade Math Achievement, Deborah Lezanic Nagy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of laughter yoga on the mathematic achievement of second grade students as measured by the math Mock Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT). According to Hoffman (2008), laughter can provide positive benefits to children and adults impacted by autism, epilepsy, and even diabetes. Hoffman (2008) conducted research on humor in early childhood education settings and found little research on laughter and the benefits to young children in the academic setting. Most humor research deals with how humor progresses through the developmental stages of children (Hoffman, 2008). In the last ten years, …

Toward A Multidimensional Framework: Exploring The Constructed Identities And Pedagogical Styles Of Black Male Kindergarten Teachers In The South, Nathenial Bryan

Theses and Dissertations

Given the one-dimensional, essentialist view of Black male teachers as social change agents (i.e., role models and father figures) (Brown, 2012b; Rezai-Rashti, 2008), the purpose of this study was to examine the identities, the ability to support Black male students’ success, and pedagogical styles of Black male kindergarten teachers in the South. Using a multidimensional conceptual framework including Black masculinity, Fictive Kinship Network, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, and Critical Race Theory, this study captured counterstories of culturally relevant Black male kindergarten teachers. The counterstories were used as a methodological tool to convey major themes which demonstrated Black male kindergarten teachers’ ability …

Preservice Teachers' Beliefs About Play In Kindergarten, Michelle Taylor Clevenger

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to gain insight into preservice teachers’ beliefs about play in kindergarten, and explore differences in beliefs about play between teachers just beginning their education program and those who are completing their degree. The study examined the beliefs of two groups of preservice teachers: one at the beginning of their early childhood education program (beginning students) and one at the end (teacher candidates). This study used a mixed methods approach including a survey with both Likert scale and open-ended questions as well as individual interviews. Data were collected at the beginning of the fall semester …

A Multivariate Study Of Variations In Public School Prekindergarten Classroom Quality Measures In Two Campus Configurations, Karen Vivadelle James

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers reported public school prekindergartens provided higher-quality programs than Head Start, daycares, and preschools (Burchinal, Howes, et al., 2008, Mashburn et al., 2008). Public school systems typically placed prekindergarten classrooms within district facilities based on available space and staffing (Ready & Lee, 2007). However, no reports documented classroom quality ratings for prekindergarten within elementary schools compared to other district facilities like prekindergarten-only schools (W. Barnett, personal communication, May 15, 2012). The current study used an ecological lens (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) to investigate the differences in quality ratings for all classrooms within one urban public school prekindergarten program located in …

Using An Art Therapy Assessment To Screen For Barriers To Learning In The Primary Grades, Carol Ann Beeman

Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the use of an art-based, art therapy assessment and accompanying survey to test construct validity of the survey instrument, reliability, and effectiveness as a screening tool in the primary grades, K-2, in a public school, a private, parochial school, and with a comparison group of already identified special education students in another parochial school. The goal was to identify children who may need evaluation or intervention to promote success in the learning environment. Art is a simple, natural way to discover mental functioning through the expressive nature of experience and its underlying physiological and psychological processes. The …

The Strategy Is At The Station: The Importance Of Connecting Literacy Stations To Reading Strategies In Developing Independent Readers, Angela Grace Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Guided reading groups and independent literacy stations are implemented in many elementary school classrooms... The present study looks at whether student literacy achievement is positively affected when guided reading strategies are connected to and used in independent literacy stations. Participants in this study included four first grade classrooms from an elementary school in the southeastern United States. Observational data were collected for eight weeks during the time in which guided reading and literacy stations were implemented. Literacy achievement was measured with the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Results of a paired-samples t-test showed that one classroom had a statistically significant increase …

The Abc's Of Early Intervention: Assessing The Arkansas Better Chance For School Success Pre -School Program, Lisa Walker Todd

Theses and Dissertations

Early intervention programs have long been associated with increased cognitive benefits for disadvantaged poverty children. The Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Pre-school Program (ABCSS) was implemented in select counties in Arkansas as an early intervention strategy for Arkansas' poverty children. The core rationale behind the implementation of the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Pre-school Program was the belief that it is much easier not to be left behind if you do not start behind. The study assessed the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Pre-school Program on the impact of sustained benefits on third grade children who previously …

Increasing Parent Involvement Through Homework Assistance Opportunities, Anne Baldwin

Theses and Dissertations

One of the greatest challenges facing the United States in the 21 century is providing a quality education for all children regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Given that children of minorities represent one of the fastest growing segments of the nation's population and the largest component of its public school enrollment, the nation cannot continue to ignore or waste this future source of talent. One finds parent involvement a major component in the school effectiveness movement. The lack of parent involvement is an area of concern. Teachers need the support and cooperation from parents and parents need to be better …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Parental Attitudes And Student Achievement On Standardized Test Scores In Mathematics, Susan S. Lapp

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parents' attitudes toward mathematics and students' standardized test scores in mathematics. Eighty-four parents of fourth-grade students in a southeastern military dependent school system were surveyed to determine their attitudes to mathematics when they were in elementary school and their attitudes about mathematics today. Parents also responded to questions about their children's abilities and attitudes toward mathematics.

Total scores for the survey were matched with the students' mathematics scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to compute the correlation coefficients. A positive …

The Effects Of Early Education On The Receptive Language Development Of Kindergarten Children, Barbara C. Everly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the receptive language of children who had attended an early childhood education center, and those who had not. Subjects were 64 kindergarten students from an elementary school on a military base in the southeast. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Revised (PPVT-R) was administered to all subjects. The t test for independent means was computed; no significant differences in mean scores existed between the two groups. Further analyses of the subjects were made to assess if age or gender influenced the results. The only significant difference …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Achievement In Third And Fifth Grade Students, Elaine Sheats

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between internal locus of control and academic achievement in third and fifth grade students. The Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale was used to determine a locus of control score for each subject. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Form 8 was used to obtain an achievement score for each subject. The study implemented a correlational research design. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the test scores. Results indicated a significant relationship between the internal dimension of locus of control and academic achievement.

The Relationship Between The Initial Screening Instrument And The California Achievement Test In Kindergarten, Alana F. Losonsky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the scores of kindergarten children on the Initial Screening Instrument (ISI) and the California Achievement Test (CAT). The subjects were 100 students who did not receive a passing score of seven on the ISI and 100 students who did receive seven or above in an urban public school system. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to compute the correlation coefficients. A significant relationship was found in Sound Recognition, Mathematical Concepts and the Composite Score. Sex and racial differences were also significant for children receiving scores …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Family Characteristics And Standardized Test Scores In Reading Comprehension And Mathematics Concepts, Carolyn H. Hemmings

Theses and Dissertations

Standardized testing ln the public school has become a crucial issue during this decade as more testing ls effected ln all grade levels, even to the extent that promotion to first grade may depend on a child/s standardized performance. Previous research has shown parent involvement ,, to be a factor which contributes to grade point averages; therefore, this study was developed to address the possibility of a correlation between parent involvement and successful standardized test scores.

Eighty-four parents of fifth-grade students in a selected county in Georgia were surveyed to determine their involvement in their child's public school education. Total …

First Grade Achievement Predicted By The Metropolitan Readiness Tests And The California Achievement Tests, Frances Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Metropolitan Readiness Tests (MRT) is a better predictor of first grade achievement than is the California Achievement Tests (CAT). The subjects were 400 representatively selected students from 10 of 38 elementary schools operating in a public school system in the Southeast. MRT scores for 1985 were collected for 200 kindergarten students, and CAT scores for 1986 were collected for 200 kindergarten students. These tests were administered to small groups of kindergarteners in the spring of each year by the regular classroom teachers. The children participated in the regular classroom curriculum …

An Investigation Of Multicultural Education In Public And Private Schools At The Primary Level, Karon K. Greyer

Theses and Dissertations

Thirty public school early childhood teachers and seventeen private school early childhood teachers were surveyed to compare 1) their attitudes toward multicultural education; 2) their access to multicultural materials and methods; and 3) the frequency with which they actually utilize multicultural materials and methods. The North Carolina Multicultural Education Survey was completed by both teacher groups. Four scale scores and a total score were compared using a t-test. The results of the study indicated no significant difference between public early childhood teachers and private early childhood teachers on either of the four scale scores or the total score. Both teacher …

The Effects Of Head Start On Cognitive Development, Gloria Toelle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare Head Start students with non-Head Start students in first grade to see if there were significant differences in cognitive achievement. A posttest only design was used, and a factorial analysis of variance was used as the statistical analysis at the .05 level of significance. Both sex and Head Start comparisons were made, but no significant findings were found. However, it was noted that boys who went to Head Start were able to achieve as much as the girls who did not. Since boys are usually less ready for school, the conclusion from …