Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Confronting And Countering Bias And Oppression Through Early Childhood Policy And Practice: An Introduction. [Special Issue], Flora Farago, Colette Murray, Beth Blue Swadener

Faculty Publications

Across the globe, there has been sustained anti-bias and anti-oppressive scholarship and policywork addressing social inclusion in early childhood and teacher education, grounded in the work of Louise Derman-Sparks and the ABC Task Force, 1989 (Kumishiro, 2000; Murray & Urban, 2012; Swadener, Aquino-Sterling, Nagasawa, & Bartlett, 2009). In this special issue, contributors address a range of social inclusion focused policies and practices across continents, including the challenges and opportunities of implementing anti-bias education. This kind of research takes a principled stance as it works to ameliorate, and eventually eliminate, exclusionary practices impacting young children and their families. The primary goal …

Anti-Bias Or Not: A Case Study Of Two Early Childhood Educators, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

This work examines anti-bias teaching practices through a case study of two early childhood educators working in classrooms with 4- to 5-year-old children. The educators self-identified that they intentionally addressed diversity in their classrooms using the anti-bias curricular approach (Derman-Sparks & the ABC Task Force, 1989). Specifically, the study explored how early childhood educators used anti-bias practices, and how educators discussed race and gender with young children. The methodology involved semi-structured interviews, naturalistic observations of educator-child interactions, and a survey of educators’ beliefs and classroom practices regarding race and gender. Findings indicated that educators felt more comfortable and skilled at …

Nebline, January 2017

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Extension 2016 Highlights

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Early Childhood

and other extension news and events

Sibling Relationship Quality And Mexican-Origin Adolescents' And Young Adults' Familism Values And Adjustment, Sarah E. Killoren, Sue A. Rodriguez De Jesus, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Lorey A. Wheeler

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

We examined profiles of sibling relationship qualities in 246 Mexican-origin families living in the United States using latent profile analyses. Three profiles were identified: Positive, Negative and Affect-Intense. Links between profiles and youths’ familism values and adjustment were assessed using longitudinal data. Siblings in the Positive profile reported the highest familism values, followed by siblings in the Affect-Intense profile and, finally, siblings in the Negative profile. Older siblings in the Positive and Affect-Intense profiles reported fewer depressive symptoms than siblings in the Negative profile. Further, in the Positive and Negative profiles, older siblings reported less involvement in risky behaviors …

The Limitations On Colorado School Districts Adoption Of An Early Access Addendum Process, Lindsey Reinert

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Colorado House Bill 08-1021: Early Access is legislation that is an optional based policy for school districts in the state of Colorado to choose to implement. The basic parameters within this state legislation is identified highly gifted students defined as academically gifted, socially and emotionally mature, who are in the top 3% of the gifted peer group, motivated to learn, ready for advanced placement, and have exhausted the resources of preschool or home schooling. Colorado House Bill 08-1021: Early Access passed in 2008, but as of 2017 only 42% of school districts had a process registered with the state department …

A Description Of Early Access In Colorado, Ruthi Manning-Freeman

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Early access, as defined in Colorado statute, remains optional. There is a shortage of administrative units engaged in an early access process to admit gifted young learners ahead of neurotypical age peers. Only 21 school districts currently use their addendum as evidenced by the receipt of Colorado state funding. Indeed, “there exists a basic lack of awareness of the effectiveness of the intervention, the impact on the student’s social-emotional development, as well as concern for the lack of consistent procedures for making this decision” (Assouline, Colangelo, Van Tassel-Baska, & Lupinski-Shoplik, 2015, p. 54). In this retrospective mixed-methods study, the researcher …

Uncovering The Gifts In English Language Learners, Sheri J. Collier

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

This research study addresses the problem of practice of the underrepresentation of English language learners (ELL) in gifted and talented (GT) services. The literature provided several reasons for the underrepresentation of ELL students being identified as gifted. One reason cited in the literature was teachers’ lack of referrals or understanding the characteristics of ELL students who may be gifted (Barkan & Bernal, 1991; de Wet & Gubbins, 2011; Esquierdo & Arreguín-Anderson, 2012; Ford & Grantham, 2003; Harris, Rapp, Martínez, & Plucker, 2007). The literature also stated assessment play a major role in identification practices (Anguiano, 2003; Barkan & Bernal, 1991; …

What Do Employers Really Want? Helping Vocational Learners Crack The Code, Kate Perkins

Vocational, adult and professional education research

In the majority of vocational qualifications, assessment of competence incorporates a structured work placement (SWP). Increasingly, host employers are using these placements as part of recruitment strategies, particularly for entry level roles. In effect, the placement is becoming the new ‘interview’, and the new interview is morphing into an extended audition where a learner’s non-technical, ‘employability’ skills may play a critical role. But do learners know what their host employers are really looking for, and to what extent are their training programs helping them to develop and demonstrate the skills that are most likely to influence an employer’s recruitment decisions? …

Preschool Teaching: The In’S And Out’S To Losing Your Sanity, Kelsey Pakkala

WRIT: Journal of First-Year Writing

No abstract provided.

2. Árboles Pensantes Y Gatos Riendo: Algunos Textos Cortos Para Trabajar En Comunidad De Indagación, Matthew Lipman, Mónica Velasco A. Vidrio

Preschool Curriculum

Los siguientes textos están tomados de “ÁRBOLES PENSATIVOS Y GATOS RISENTES”, un currículo de pensamiento para educación preescolar, publicado por el Instituto para el Avance de la Filosofía para Niños de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, que autorizó esta traducción y adaptación de cuentos seleccionados para su uso en el programa de formación de maestros del Centro de Filosofía para Niños y Servicios Educativos de Guadalajara, S.C.

Ipads And Paintbrushes: An Exploratory Case Study Of Integrating Digital Media As Placed Resources Into An Intergenerational Art Class, Rachel Heydon, Lori Mckee, Bridget Daly

Education Publications

This exploratory case study integrated digital media as placed resources into an intergenerational art class. Its goals were to generate knowledge of how to bring young children and elders together to expand their opportunities for meaning making and seeing themselves in affirming ways so as to generate transferable understanding of digitally-enhanced multimodal curricula across the lifespan. Participants included 15 elders and 9 pre-schoolers. Focusing on how the digital media were used and with what implications for participants’ literacy and identity options as well as relationship building, data were collected through ethnographic methods, and a qualitative thematic analysis with multimodal elements …

Neural Correlates Of Response Inhibition In Early Childhood: Evidence From A Go/No-Go Task, Aishah Abdul Rahman, Daniel J. Carroll, Kimberly Espy, Sandra A. Wiebe

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory: Faculty Publications

We examined the neural correlates underlying response inhibition in early childhood. Five-year-old children completed a Go/No-go task with or without time pressure (Fast vs. Slow condition) while scalp EEG was recorded. On No-go trials where inhibition was required, the left frontal N2 and posterior P3 were enhanced relative to Go trials. Time pressure was detrimental to behavioral performance and modulated the early-occurring P1 component. The topography of ERPs related to response inhibition differed from patterns typically seen in adults, and may indicate a compensatory mechanism to make up for immature inhibition networks in children.

Conferring In The Café: One-To-One Reading Conferences In Two First Grade Classrooms, Bethanie Pletcher, Rosalynn Christensen

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to explore the teacher/student reading conferences in two first grade teachers’ classrooms in one primary school. Sixteen one-to-one reading conferences were recorded and transcribed over a two-month period and coded for content as related to the CAFÉ (Boushey & Moser, 2009) model of reading instruction, which the teachers used daily. We found that the two teachers placed heavy emphasis on students’ reading accuracy (the “A” in CAFÉ) and did not spend as much time working on comprehension, fluency, or expanding vocabulary (the C, F, and E in CAFÉ). We suggest teachers …

Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey: A Focus On Providers And Teachers, Amy M. Roberts, Iheoma U. Iruka, Susan L. Sarver

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

The Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Survey was undertaken by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska to better understand the current status, working conditions, and attitudes of caregivers and teachers working with children from birth through Grade 3. Representing the largest and most comprehensive survey ever completed of the state’s early childhood workforce, it provides important insight into the everyday challenges of the professionals who care for and educate our youngest citizens. Research has long made clear the important role adults play in young children’s lives. Children who form strong relationships with adults feel safe to explore …

An Examination Of Concepts Of School Readiness Among Parents And Educators In Ireland, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Emer Ring, Noirin Hayes, Patsy Stafford, Siobhan Keegan, Cathy Kelleher, Martina Ozonyia, Mary Moloney, Deirdre Breathnach, Des Carswell, Des Mccafferty, Anne O'Keefe, Aisling Leavy, Ruth Madden

Reports

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs commissioned research through the Irish Research Council (IRC) to examine concepts of school readiness as they are understood by early years educators and managers, primary school principals, junior infant teachers and parents of children participating in the first Free Preschool Year in Ireland. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving interviews, an online survey and “draw and tell” sessions with children. Representative samples of FPSY settings and primary schools were selected and an online survey based on the findings of the qualitative phase was sent to 500 pre-primary settings and 500 primary schools. In …

Reach Out And Read Program: Incorporating Early Literacy Promotion Into Practice, Melanie Miller

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice Innovation Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to increase the number of days per week parents read to their children ages six months to five years in order to increase literacy, brain and language development, and improve parent-child relationships and health outcomes.
Review of Literature: Between birth and age five, 90% of a child’s brain development occurs (Theriot et al., 2003). The Reach Out and Read© program is an evidence-based program incorporating books into well-child visits by primary care providers ages 6 months to 5 years (Reach Out and Read©, 2014). After being introduced to literacy programs, frequency of shared …

Effects Of A Coaching Intervention On Teacher’S Implementation Of Naturalistic Strategies To Promote Communication In Children, Kaitlin J. Dick

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

With accountability on the rise, educators are changing their focus to optimizing instructional strategies in the classroom. Their job performance depends upon their ability to show progress on child outcomes. One way teachers advance this process is by executing more evidence-based practices in their classroom. There is a lack of research in early childhood that report treatment integrity of the treatment package. This study utilized a multicomponent coaching intervention to increasing treatment fidelity of teacher implementation of naturalistic teaching strategies in an early childhood classroom. This coaching intervention could prove to be more efficient and practical for educators. This study …

Treble In The Environment: Incorporating Music Into Environmental Education, Shinara Sunderlal

Pitzer Senior Theses

In this era where global sustainability is challenged, environmental education plays a vital role in building environmental awareness. Other roles of environmental education include the promotion of responsible citizenship and the fostering of environmental advocacy in children. As a way to strengthen these goals of environmental education, this thesis explores the dynamic uses of music to compound on the fields impact. I argue that the benefits of music outlined suggest music’s power to heighten environmental sensitivity from a young age. I use narratives from the environmental education, music, education, and psychology discourses to demonstrate the theoretical advantages of music in …

Educational Buildings As Educational Buildings: Can Sustainable Architecture Help Support Sustainability In The Curriculum?, Claire Speedie, Mark Mulville

Conference papers

This paper explores whether the architectural design of educational buildings - by incorporating an expression of the sustainable design - helps to educate users towards adoption of sustainable practices. Utilising observational studies from primary schools incorporating sustainable design measures, the research explored their impact on the curriculum.

School buildings accommodate the educational process but design briefs do not require that buildings educate their users. The paper demonstrated that sustainable features of the buildings were not well integrated into the curriculum and that one explanation was the lack of interpretation incorporated into the architecture to support teachers lacking an appreciation of …

Process Evaluation Of Abc Grangegorman 2015-2017., Sarah Murphy

Programme Reports

ABC Grangegorman: Vision Against Poverty was aimed at improving outcomes for 0-6 children and their families in the Grangegorman area that are experiencing poverty. The programme was delivered by a consortium of 27 organisations from the area and led by the DIT Access and Civic Engagement Office. Consortium organisations included local schools, pre-schools, crèches, community organisations, as well as statutory agencies including HSE, Tusla and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB). ABC Grangegorman consisted of nine programmes, which included:  Six interventions: Four Incredible Years (IY) programmes: IY Baby, IY Basic Parenting, IY Teacher Classroom Management, and …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Pre-K Programming And Third-Grade Math And Reading Achievement Outcomes In Oregon, Maria K. Drennen

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study examined the relationship between preschool program type, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and measures of third-grade academic achievement outcomes, as measured by the standardized mathematics and English Language Arts assessments administered to third-grade students in Oregon. The study participants were fourth-grade students from a single participating school district in the Southern region of Oregon. Parents/guardians voluntarily consented to participation and provided a completed questionnaire specifying their child’s preschool program type as attended the majority of the time (nine months or more) in the year prior to Kindergarten. Required statewide assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts occur in third-grade. Therefore, …

Physical Miseducation: How Public Schooling In The Us Is Harmful To Students’ Bodily Well-Being, Rachel Fredericks

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper explores the history of physical education in the United States, as well as a general look into how public schooling affects how kids learn about and come to view their bodies. Theory and research by Michel Foucault, Elias Norbert, and Katy Bowman form the theoretical framework for this essay, and accounts of visits to a local elementary school to observe PE also grounds the work in present-day experiences. The work concludes that public schools in the US improperly teach students about how to listen to and care for their bodies.

The Use Of Touchscreen Devices To Support Writing Development Of Preschoolers, Celeste Mortvedt

Graduate Research Papers

This review examines the use of touchscreen devices to support writing development of preschool children. Examination of the impact of touchscreen device writing on brain development of preschoolers is also included. Benefits and challenges of using touchscreen devices to support handwriting development are analyzed and reviewed along with recommendations for classroom implementation, future research, and educational policy.

Mexican-Origin Youth's Risk Behavior From Adolescence To Young Adulthood: The Role Of Familism Values, Lorey A. Wheeler, Katharine H. Zeiders, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Sue A. Rodriguez De Jesus, Norma J. Perez-Brena

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally-relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and familism values in 492 youth from 12 to 22 years of age. Participants were older and younger siblings from 246 Mexican-origin families who reported on their risk behaviors in interviews spaced over eight years. Multilevel cohort-sequential growth models …

Service Animals In Elementary Classrooms: Examining Educator And Family Perspectives Of A Working Service Animal In An Elementary Classroom, Jenna Falldorf

The University Honors Program

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990 by President Bush. Although the ADA includes laws about public access rights for people with disabilities and their service animals, many schools are reluctant to have service animals (that are partnered with children with disabilities) included in early childhood classrooms. Teachers that have had experience with working animals in their elementary classrooms have reported many benefits, not only for the student with a disability, but for the other students in the classroom as well. Research on dogs in classrooms has shown potential social, behavioral, and academic improvements in …

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 …

การพัฒนากระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีตามแนวคิดเครื่องมือทางปัญญาและการเรียนรู้โดยใช้สมองเป็นฐานเพื่อเสริมสร้างเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ของเด็กอนุบาล, ดุษฎี อุปการ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ 1) เพื่อพัฒนากระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีตามแนวคิดเครื่องมือทางปัญญาและการเรียนรู้โดยใช้สมองเป็นฐานเพื่อเสริมสร้างเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ของเด็กอนุบาล และ 2) เพื่อศึกษาผลของการใช้กระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ การดำเนินการวิจัยแบ่งออกเป็น 3 ระยะ ได้แก่ 1) การพัฒนากระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ 2) การนำร่องกระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ และ 3) การศึกษาผลของการใช้กระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีฯ กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ เด็กอนุบาลชั้นปีที่ 2 โรงเรียนบ้านน้ำพี้มิตรภาพที่ 214 จังหวัดอุตรดิตถ์ จำนวน 35 คน แบ่งเป็นกลุ่มทดลอง จำนวน 18 คน และกลุ่มควบคุม จำนวน 17 คน ระยะเวลาในการดำเนินการวิจัย 16 เดือน เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการวิจัย ได้แก่ 1) แบบประเมินหัวใจและดอกไม้ 2) แบบประเมินเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ มีค่าความเที่ยงเท่ากับ 0.96 และ 3) แบบบันทึกการสังเกตพฤติกรรมที่สะท้อนเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยการหาค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน การทดสอบค่าที การวิเคราะห์ความแปรปรวนร่วม และขนาดอิทธิพล ผลการวิจัยสรุปได้ดังนี้ 1. กระบวนการเรียนการสอนกิจกรรมเสรีตามแนวคิดเครื่องมือทางปัญญาและการเรียนรู้โดยใช้สมองเป็นฐานเพื่อเสริมสร้างเอ็กเซ็กคิวทีฟฟังก์ชันส์ของเด็กอนุบาล ประกอบด้วย 6 องค์ประกอบ ได้แก่ แนวคิดพื้นฐาน หลักการ วัตถุประสงค์ เนื้อหา กระบวนการเรียนการสอน และการประเมิน โดยมีหลักการ 5 ประการ ได้แก่ 1) พัฒนาการและการเรียนรู้เกิดขึ้นในบริบทของการอยู่ร่วมกันในสังคม 2) อารมณ์และความสนใจจากภายในที่มีความหมายต่อตัวเด็กส่งผลต่อการเรียนรู้ 3) การเรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับการทำงานของอวัยวะต่าง ๆ ในร่างกายและการทำงานของสมองผ่านการลงมือปฏิบัติเกิดเป็นพัฒนาการ 4) กระบวนการเรียนรู้เกิดขึ้นโดยความสนใจจากภายใน มุ่งจุดสนใจ รับรู้ ลงมือปฏิบัติ จดจำ แล้วนำมาจัดระบบสร้างรูปแบบของตนเอง และ 5) ภาษาเป็นเครื่องมือในการเปลี่ยนประสบการณ์ภายนอกสู่ความเข้าใจที่เกิดขึ้นภายใน ซึ่งกระบวนการเรียนการสอนมี 4 ขั้นตอน ได้แก่ 1) ขั้นกระตุ้นสมอง 2) ขั้นหยุดคิดก่อนเล่น 3) ขั้นเล่นร่วมกัน และ …

The Effects Of Adapted Physical Education On Students With Down Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis, Christopher Ij Bolt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from physical activity interventions on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Design: The present study employed a quantitative research synthesis design. The overall conclusions of past research highlight important issues related to physical activity interventions performed on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Methods: Standard meta-analytic procedures incorporating inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature search, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize 24 studies with 258 independent samples. Cohen’s (1988) criteria for effect sizes were used to interpret and evaluate results.

Results: The average treatment effect for …

A Case For Theatre-Based Programming In Early-Childhood And Elementary Education, Tina M. La Plant

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper seeks to answer the question, How can I use my professional experience developing a theatre-based curriculum for early-childhood and elementary students as a platform to advocate for the importance of theatre-based curricula in early and elementary education? The subject of this research project is a Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade theatre-based education program founded by the author. The program was developed over the past 20 years at the Bertschi School, an independent PK-Fifth elementary school located in Seattle, Washington. For the purposes of this paper, the program itself will serve as a proving ground to explore and define primary …

The Home Environment And Parenting Practices: Associations With Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In Preschool-Age Children, Emily C. Huber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preschool-age children have the potential to be influenced by their physical home environment and their parents’ physical activity (PA) practices more than older children as preschool-age children are more reliant on parents for PA opportunities. Previous research with this focus has relied predominantly on various subjective assessments of child activity, often resulting in overestimation of PA and underestimation of sedentary time (ST). Collectively, this dissertation project explored the associations among home environment factors, parent PA practices, parent satisfaction of children’s body size and children’s PA and ST by utilizing objective measures of activity and the full range of PA intensities …