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Early Childhood Education Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Early Childhood Education

Play Based Learning A School Improvement Plan, Kalee Chamberlin Apr 2023

Play Based Learning A School Improvement Plan, Kalee Chamberlin

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Play-based learning is a topic that is often discussed at the early childhood level. Research has shown that play-based learning can lead to success within the classroom in the areas of social-emotional skills, literacy, and mathematics. Research conducted within the Muscatine Community School District suggests that children could benefit from additional time in play-based learning opportunities. This school improvement plan describes in detail the process needed to implement a plan to increase the amount of time spent in play-based learning opportunities within the preschool classroom.


Social And Emotional Skills Develop Through Play-Based Learning, April Welding Oct 2022

Social And Emotional Skills Develop Through Play-Based Learning, April Welding

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study was driven by the researcher’s interest in play-based learning. This action research investigates if social and emotional skills develop through play in a preschool classroom setting. This action research answered the question: Can social and emotional skills develop through play-based learning? Preschool students were engaged in developmental learning play-based learning centers that helped them academically, socially, and emotionally. Teachers were more intentional with interactions with students. Teachers were more present with students, encouraging engagement with learning opportunities. This research study was conducted throughout the 2021 – 2022 academic school year. Data was collected throughout two Teaching …


Let’S Play! The Power Of Play As A Teaching Tool In The Elementary And Early Childhood Classroom, Jessica Moore Aug 2022

Let’S Play! The Power Of Play As A Teaching Tool In The Elementary And Early Childhood Classroom, Jessica Moore

Honors Program Theses and Projects

What play-based learning looks like depends on the subject it is being used in. Overall, it involves hands-on activities and children learning through these activities. These activities can be used to teach/introduce the lesson, or they can be used as a reinforcement. In science, it might be experimenting with cardboard and cars to understand ramps. For math, it might be using manipulatives to learn about shapes. In social studies it could be putting on a puppet show, while in English it might be playing Ispy to find words that begin with the letter p. Three research questions were created to …


Can Play-Based Learning Provide Adequate Learning Experiences For Young Children?, Rachel Bienemann Apr 2022

Can Play-Based Learning Provide Adequate Learning Experiences For Young Children?, Rachel Bienemann

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This research study was conducted due to my curiosity in the effectiveness of play-based learning for academic and social emotional growth. I am in my 14th year of teaching preschool at a small Lutheran school. I used my afternoon classroom of 19 students to conduct the study. Screeners in five different areas were conducted before the eight-week data collection period. During the eight weeks, students participated in play-based learning activities to introduce and practice academic and social emotional skills. After the eight-week period, the same screeners were given to the students. Findings from the study revealed student growth in both …


The Value Of Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Classrooms, Courtney Hansmann Apr 2022

The Value Of Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Classrooms, Courtney Hansmann

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study investigated if students can make social-emotional and academic gains through play-based learning in an early childhood classroom. This action research answered the question: Can preschool students make academic and social gains in a play-based classroom within one school year? Preschool students were engaged in rich materials that helped in math, literacy, and language. Teachers were more intentional about their interactions with students and were more engaged. This research study was conducted throughout the 2021-2022 school year. Data was collected throughout the three GOLD checkpoints in the school year.


Comparison Of Play-Based Learning Versus Worksheets In English Language Arts Growth, Erin Wiskus Jul 2021

Comparison Of Play-Based Learning Versus Worksheets In English Language Arts Growth, Erin Wiskus

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research is to compare the data of kindergarten student’s growth in ELA (English Language Arts) through the use of play-based learning strategies against students who utilize worksheets as part of their instruction in order to determine if one instructional method is more effective than the other in demonstrating academic growth in English Language Arts. One group of students participated in play-based learning strategies while the other group utilized worksheets as an extension of learning. Both groups were given weekly pretests and posttests in the areas of: letter identification, CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words, digraphs, and …


The Value Of Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Classrooms, Brandice Tegrootenhuis Apr 2021

The Value Of Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Classrooms, Brandice Tegrootenhuis

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this literature review is to demonstrate the value of play-based learning in early childhood classrooms and encourage educators and policy-makers to focus more on this developmentally appropriate practice of learning through play in early childhood classrooms. The findings of this literature review are that play is an essential component in all areas of child development. The reviewed research suggests play and academic and social development are closely linked and indicate success in the areas of 21st century skills, literacy and language, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. The conclusion of this review includes recommendations for …


Play-Based Early Childhood Curriculum And Early Literacy Success Link, Kristi Clark Jul 2020

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.


Learning Through Play Experience Tool: Contextual Data Tools, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) May 2020

Learning Through Play Experience Tool: Contextual Data Tools, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Monitoring Learning

The Learning through Play (LtP) Experience Tool was developed for use at LEGO House to observe and measure the quality of children’s play experiences. The LtP Experience Tool includes a set of Contextual Data Tools. The primary purpose of the Contextual Data Tools: "is to put the LtP Experience Tool into ‘context’, by emphasising that we are not assessing the individual child assuming that there is something wrong with the child’s performance or behaviour. But that we are measuring the child to understand whether anything should be changed in the context/environment/facilitation around the child". The Contextual Data Tools …


Preschool Students Learning From Play Based Learning And Small Group Instruction, Molly Nicholson Oct 2019

Preschool Students Learning From Play Based Learning And Small Group Instruction, Molly Nicholson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to use two different types or learning and see which one is more effective for preschool students. It seeks to answer this question: Do preschool students learn more effectively from small group instruction or from play-based learning? Preschool is where learning really begins, it is important to have a solid foundation for an educational career, this foundation is built in the preschool setting. Students learn in a variety of ways, hopefully this study helps determine the most effective way for the majority of the students to learn. Play-based learning is a relatively newer concept …


Difference Between Behavior And Engagement By Comparing Teaching Styles, Kimberly A. Rozeboom Jul 2019

Difference Between Behavior And Engagement By Comparing Teaching Styles, Kimberly A. Rozeboom

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the difference in behavior and engagement by comparing two teaching styles. Participants were 10 five-year-olds in a public, inclusive, half-day transitional kindergarten setting. Data was collected through observation during 30-minute lessons for a five-week period. Specific behaviors were tallied, as well as teacher observation of student engagement and recording of standards completed during each lesson. Analysis of the data collected suggests that play-based teaching has positive impacts on decreasing behaviors and increasing student engagement.


Using Guided Play To Acquire Literacy Skills, Kimberly Farrell May 2019

Using Guided Play To Acquire Literacy Skills, Kimberly Farrell

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if exclusively using guided-play based learning strategies with kindergarten students who have individualized education plan (IEP) literacy goals in letter sound identification assists these students in acquiring this skill. Students were provided instruction with the inclusion of technology and worksheets between the Fall and Winter FAST assessment screenings. Students were then provided guided play-based instruction to identify letter sounds between the Winter and Spring FAST assessment screenings. Data collection was obtained through bi-weekly IEP progress monitoring procedures and through the FAST assessment. Analysis of the data shows that students made overall …