Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Generations Growing Together: Intergenerational Learning As A Pedagogical Strategy In Early Childhood Education And Care Services. A Handbook For Practitioners And Trainers, Anne Fitzpatrick

Books/Book chapters

Despite being the oldest form of learning, IGL has declined steadily over time due to wide-ranging social, cultural, economic and demographic changes. Children in the Western world are growing up in smaller, geographically dispersed family circles and, consequently, have fewer opportunities to interact with different age groups and to see themselves as part of a multigenerational society. Older people are living longer, yet are frequently separated from their families by distance, migration and family breakdown and, more recently, by COVID-19. Additionally, with the increasing attendance at age-segregated services, including preschools and care homes, traditional places and opportunities for age groups …

The Role Of Digital Technologies In Supporting Quality Improvement In Australian Early Childhood Education And Care Settings, Maria Hatzigianni, Tanya Stephenson, Linda J. Harrison, Manjula Waniganayake, Philip Li, Lennie Barblett, Fay Hadley, Rebecca Andrews, Belinda Davis, Susan Irvine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This national study explored the role of digital technologies in early childhood education and care settings and whether they could contribute to quality improvement as reported by educators and assessors of quality in Australia. In this paper, data from Stage 2 of the Quality Improvement Research Project were used, which comprised 60 Quality Improvement Plans from educators linked with 60 Assessment and Rating reports from the assessors who visited early childhood centres as part of the administration of the National Quality Standards by each of Australia’s State and Territory jurisdictions. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, U. (1995).Developmental ecology through space …

The Overcoming Disadvantage In Early Childhood Study: Evaluation Of The Australian Literacy And Numeracy Foundation’S Early Language And Literacy Program. Summary Report, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

This report provides a summary of the completed Overcoming Disadvantage in Early Childhood (ODEC) longitudinal research study. The study was designed to evaluate the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s (ALNF) Early Language and Literacy (EL&L) program by answering the research question: What is the effect of the EL&L program on the development of language and literacy skills in preschool aged children? An integral component of this study was the development of the Early Language and Literacy Developmental Index (ELLDI), a new tool to measure oral language and literacy learning. The development of the ELLDI was based on the recognised need …

Supporting Meaningful Learning Experiences With Button-Operated Robots In Early Childhood Settings, Jacob Hall, David J. Mulder

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Bringing together recent research on button-operated robots in early childhood settings and developmentally appropriate practices, this chapter details strategies for the integration of robots. Educators are encouraged to design and implement robotics experiences that are intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic (Howland et al., 2012). To achieve these aims, educators should embed challenges within play-based activities and empower children to set and achieve their own goals. Additionally, educators can support children’s active engagement by selecting a button-operated robot that gives clear feedback and by offering just-in-time support as children address errors in their programs. For constructive learning, educators should prompt …

Implementing Changes In Family Childcare Programs To Increase Social-Emotional Development And Decrease Negative Behavior, Julia Green

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if implementing environmental and instructional changes in an-home family childcare program would increase children’s social-emotional development as well as decrease negative behaviors exhibited. An assessment of social-emotional skills was conducted prior to the research using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). The researcher observed staff members implement changes in the childcare program over four weeks, with one change each week. Following the four-week implementation period, the researcher conducted three weeks of observations to determine how the changes affected the children’s social-emotional development and behavior. A second ASQ assessment was conducted …

Analysis Of Early Childhood Education And Learning Outcomes In The Pacific, Dan Cloney, Yung Nietschke, Jeffery Marshall

Early Childhood Education

There is strong evidence supporting early childhood education (ECE) programmes as an effective way to support children to have the best start in life, especially for the most disadvantaged children. When high‐quality programmes are established – where quality is assured, and barriers to participation eliminated – large positive effects are observed that are sustained into adulthood. Indeed, substantial positive returns on public investment in ECE programmes are reported. When low‐quality programmes are taken to scale in the market, however, smaller effects or no effects are observed. This is attributed to failure to get quality right. And when quality is too …

Contributing To A National Early Learning And Child Care System In Canada: An Environmental Scan Of Early Childhood Policy And Programs, Yalin Gorica, Yasaman Jalali-Kushki, Mei Wang, Jennifer Conforzi

Publications and Scholarship

As the federal government aims to establish a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system with all provinces and territories, the significance of having a trained and qualified early childhood education (ECE) workforce is paramount to ensuring the provision of high-quality child care services to children. The shortage of qualified early learning and child care staff across the country calls for more research and program development to understand the complex issues of recruiting, supporting, and retaining qualified ECE professionals in the field. This environmental scan presents an opportunity for researchers to conduct a comprehensive review of current research trends and …

Project Approach – Teaching Dinosaurs In Pre-K, Erin Preslar

A with Honors Projects

For this honors project, the author has outlined a lesson plan for Pre-Kindergarten students using dinosaurs as the subject.

Importance Of Diversity In Early Childhood Education, Nicole Powell

A with Honors Projects

This honors project discusses the importance of diversity in childhood education and how to achieve it.

Movement Guidelines For Young Children: Engaging Stakeholders To Design Dissemination Strategies In The Hong Kong Early Childhood Education Context, Catherine M. Capio, Rachel A. Jones, Catalina S. M. Ng, Cindy H. P. Sit, Kevin K. H. Chung

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Early childhood is a critical period during which patterns of movement behaviors are formed. The World Health Organization had endorsed guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep over a 24-h time period, which had been adopted by the Center for Health Protection of Hong Kong. This paper reports on stakeholder engagements that were conducted to inform the design of strategies to disseminate the guidelines in early childhood education (ECE) settings.

Methods

Using a mixed-methods study design, we sought to (a) assess the stakeholders' levels of awareness and knowledge of the Hong Kong movement guidelines for young children and …

Computational Thinking And Coding For Young Children: A Hybrid Approach To Link Unplugged And Plugged Activities, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

In our increasingly technology-dependent society, the importance of promoting digital literacy (e.g., computational thinking, coding, and programming) has become a critical focus in the field of childhood education. While young children these days are routinely and extensively exposed to digital devices and tools, the efficacy of the methods for fostering digital skills in the early childhood classroom has not always been closely considered. This is particularly true in settings where early childhood educators are not digital experts. Currently, most of the efforts in standard early childhood settings, taught by teachers who are not digital experts, appear to revolve around “unplugged” …

The Long-Run Effects Of High-Quality Pre-K: What Does The Research Show?, Timothy J. Bartik

Testimonies

No abstract provided.

Long-Run Effects Of High-Quality Pre-K: What Does Research Show?, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

High-quality pre-K results in long-run effects of higher educational attainment, lower crime, and higher earnings for former child participants as adults.

Water Play Is Science, Alissa Lange

ETSU Faculty Works

This outdoor water scavenger hunt includes a set of linked learning experiences in which children will practice careful observation and documentation to identify places they can find water outside.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Children will be able to identify water found in more than one location outside
• Children will be able to describe their observations of water outside using spoken words, writing, and/or pictures
• Children will compare and contrast predictions with documented observation

Pilot Test Of A Quality Rating And Improvement System In Early Education Programs In Magadan Oblast, Rf, And In Minnesota, Usa, Elizabeth J. Sandell

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

Quality in early childhood education matters. Scholarly research has demonstrated the critical importance of the first three years of a child’s life. The experiences and interactions children have in these early years significantly affects brain development and helps to establish the foundation for future learning. The topic of this study was to pilot test a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) in early education programs in Magadan, Russian Federation (RU) and in Mankato, Minnesota, United States of America (USA). The purpose of this study was to understand the use of a specific instrument to provide direction for the improvement of …

Early Childhood Education And Care Provision Through The Medium Of The Irish Language, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Mairéad Mac Con Iomaire

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter will give an overview of the history of naíonraí or Irish-medium preschool settings in Gaeltacht1 and non-Gaeltacht areas from their beginnings in the 1960s to date. The material for this chapter is based on desk research, interviews with the founding member of the naíonra movement and the personal involvement of the chapter authors. The rationale for establishing naíonraí will be described and the role of the pioneers who led the movement in the 1970s and 1980s will be analysed in light of their principles and philosophy. These principles are visible in the structures they set up to manage …

Lively Emu Dialogues: Activating Feminist Common Worlding Pedagogies, Mindy Blaise, Catherine Hamm

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper draws from a series of Place-thought walks that the authors took at an open-range zoo. It practices a feminist common worlds multispecies ethics to challenge the systems that maintain nature-culture divisions in early childhood education. Postdevelopmental perspectives (i.e., feminist environmental humanities, multispecies studies, Indigenous studies) are brought into conversation with early childhood education to consider how zoo-logics maintain binaries and hierarchical thinking. Zoo-logics are related to developmental, colonial, and Western ways of reasoning and being in the world. Two feminist approaches to ethics, (re)situating and dialoguing, are discussed and show how they are necessary for undermining binaries and …

The Overcoming Disadvantage In Early Childhood Study: Evaluation Of The Australian Literacy And Numeracy Foundation’S Early Language And Literacy Program. Final Report, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson

Early Childhood Education

The Overcoming Disadvantage in Early Childhood (ODEC) study is a longitudinal evaluation of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s (ALNF) Early Language and Literacy (EL&L) program. The study was designed to answer the research question: What is the effect of the EL&L program on the development of language and literacy skills in preschool aged children? An integral component of this study was to develop a new measure of oral language and literacy - the Early Language and Literacy Developmental Index (ELLDI). The ELLDI was developed in recognition of the need for a best practice measure of oral language and literacy …

Research Snapshot: Unicef Philippines Early Childhood Education Kindergarten To Grade 4 Longitudinal Study, Rachel Parker, Jacqueline H. S. Cheng, Prue Anderson, Dan Cloney, Adeola Monty

Early Childhood Education

The Philippines Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Longitudinal Study was a major research investment by UNICEF, the Philippines Department of Education, and the Australian Government. It was designed to investigate the impact of one of the most significant education reforms in Philippines history: the introduction of the Kindergarten year as part of the K-12 Basic Education System. It offers useful insights into the impact of Philippines Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) and key language transition points for students from Kindergarten to Grade 4. This longitudinal study measured not only the impact of Kindergarten, but also the contribution that preschool …

Exploring Non-Contact Time In Early Childhood Education, Erin Hamel

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Early childhood teachers have been the subject of many studies. Their qualifications, practices, and interactions with children have been widely researched as avenues for improving early childhood education. Yet little is known about the work supports early childhood teachers need to be successful. Non-contact time is one element of a supportive work environment that supports teachers’ ability to address their professional expectations. However, information and guidance on non-contact time is lacking or absent from the literature. This study addresses this gap by exploring non-contact time from the perspectives of directors and teachers.

An embedded mixed methods design was used to …

Impact Of Technology Use On Early Childhood, Paige Davidson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Technology is something that has evolved immensely over the last 20 years and only continues to grow and change. Technology has affected early childhood education, in the home and classroom. This literature review explores the impact of technology use on young children, as well as how educators can support students learning using technology. The literature review will analyze how technology can positively affect student learning through increased collaboration, enhanced engagement, strengthened motivation and creativity. In addition, the literature review will explain how technology can improve academic skills, such as reading and math. Educators are the key facilitators for improving student …

Stem Education In The Early Childhood Classroom, Julia Biagiotti

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This qualitative study focuses on the type of STEM education students are getting at the early childhood level (PK-2). Based on gaps found in literature, an interview protocol was created and six participants with various careers in the field of STEM education were interviewed. The research was concentrated on trying to determine what components of STEM education make it successful in the early childhood classroom. All of the interview responses were analyzed and coded and determined the results found below. A few integral parts of a successful STEM education seem to be curiosity, asking questions and a hands-on component, but …

A Light Challenge: First Graders Engineer An Obstacle Course With Flashlights, Alissa A. Lange, Erin Rice, Noell Howe, Qiuju Tian

ETSU Faculty Works

In this class, we wanted to support students’ knowledge of light and the ways in which it interacts with other materials through a series of connected learning experiences. These experiences are related to NGSS standard 1-PS4-3 Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer. Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light. We aimed for children to discover that light tends to move in a straight line unless something gets in the way, materials can affect the beam of light, and the way …

Improving Early Autism Diagnosis In Underserved Communities Through The Use Of “Learn The Signs. Act Early.” Developmental Milestone Tracking Tool, Tamara L. Ellington

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Many children entering early childhood education programs have symptoms of autism spectrum disorder yet remain undiagnosed. Research suggests this is especially true for low-income and minority children who may not participate in regular pediatric check-ups, have parents with low health literacy, or who may experience provider bias. Thus, they are diagnosed at a later age compared to upper-class White children. Early autism-specific intervention services can have a profound and lasting impact on long-term developmental outcomes for children with autism. Identification of the symptoms of autism is key to triggering the autism evaluation process that leads to a formal autism diagnosis …

Assessment Of Oral Language And Early Literacy In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Danielle Anzai, Sandra Knowles, Dan Cloney, Pam Munro-Smith, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review is one of a series of reviews to support Victorian early childhood professionals to assess children's learning and development in relation to the five Learning and Development Outcomes in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). This review focuses on the Outcome: Children are effective communicators, and specifically on children as effective oral communicators. Focusing on the development of oral language and early literacy in the early years, this literature review sets out to provide a resource that will equip early childhood professionals with the knowledge to identify and assess children's progress in oral language …

Survey Of Teachers In Pre-Primary Education (Stepp): Lessons From The Implementation Of The Pilot Study And Field Trial Of International Survey Instruments, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Maurice Walker, Yoshie Kaga

Early Childhood Education

The present publication documents the achievements and lessons learned from the first phase of the Survey of Teachers in Pre-primary Education (STEPP) project, implemented by UNESCO from 2016 to 2019, with the participation of seven countries, namely, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Namibia, the Philippines, Togo, and Viet Nam. It is the first international survey for low-and-middle-income countries designed to collect information that is known to affect the quality of pre-primary education from pre-primary teachers and centre heads. The collected information concerns training and professional development, pedagogical and professional practices, working conditions and job satisfaction, and characteristics of pre-primary personnel …

Impact Of Oer In Teacher Education, Denise Cummings-Clay

Publications and Research

The purpose of this research study, which employed a quantitative research design, was to determine if there was a difference in the grades achieved by students who were enrolled in an entry-level Foundations of Education course using Open Educational Resources (OER) versus the grades achieved by students who used textbooks in other course sections. The goal was to find out whether OER was of the same or higher quality as textbooks in our minority-serving higher education institution. The outcomes revealed that there was no significant difference in grades for course sections that used OER when compared to course sections that …

Assessment Of Children As Connected With And Contributing To Their World In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Kate Noble, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review unpacks the concept of connection and contribution from the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), which includes developing a sense of belonging to groups and communities, and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation; responding to diversity with respect; becoming aware of fairness; and becoming socially responsible and showing respect for the environment.

Appropriate Risk With Two And Three Year Olds, Heather Bruno

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The focus of this school improvement plan was to explore existing research and data on the benefits and concerns present when allowing young children to play with toys and natural items in the outdoor environment that expose them to more risk. Based on that information, a plan was made to thoughtfully add some appropriate risky play elements to the outdoor playground at the Iowa State Child Development Laboratory School over the duration of one school year. By adding these elements, opportunities for growth of large motor skills and overall learning and development may occur. To assess growth, two assessment tools …

Play-Based Early Childhood Curriculum And Early Literacy Success Link, Kristi Clark

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review synthesizes research on how play-based learning and early-literacy success are linked. The review shows changes in early childhood education in the 20th Century and how play-based curriculums have affected children’s early literacy success. This literature review cites past studies carried out by influential early childhood theorists. Publish research on this topic reveals strong evidence that children’s literacy is developed through play, particularly when guided and teacher-directed play experiences connect to early literacy in a positive manner.