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Early Childhood Education Commons

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Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Early Childhood Education

Kagan Strategies In The Preschool Classroom And Their Effectiveness With Engagement And Academic Response, Megan Smith Dec 2018

Kagan Strategies In The Preschool Classroom And Their Effectiveness With Engagement And Academic Response, Megan Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of Kagan cooperative learning practices on academic growth in a preschool classroom. Participants were four and five year olds in a half-day preschool program in an urban setting. Students were a mix of household incomes as well as students who are English language learners. Quantitative data was collected using the Get Set for School assessment. Data was collected after ten small group sessions for 50 sessions. For each group of sessions, a different Kagan engagement strategy was utilized and the Get Set for School assessment was given to track …


The Effects Of Second Step In A Prekindergarten Classroom, Victoria Brandenburg Aug 2018

The Effects Of Second Step In A Prekindergarten Classroom, Victoria Brandenburg

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was conducted to determine if using Second Step social emotional learning program would affect the frequency of negative behaviors in a preschool class. The lead teacher and associate were trained in Second Step social emotional learning. Second Step was implemented in the preschool class for three weeks. Qualitative data was collected from teacher interviews. Quantitative data was collected from behavior logs, behavior reports and researcher observations. The data was entered in a table and the data was used to determine if negative behavior decreased after implementing Second Step curriculum. After analyzing the data and teacher interviews, …


An Action Research Investigation Into An Early Childhood Digital, Storytelling-Based Solution, Jessica Smith May 2018

An Action Research Investigation Into An Early Childhood Digital, Storytelling-Based Solution, Jessica Smith

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The development of literacy skills prior to the classroom has been established as essential for future school and life successes. However, the present achievement gap between lower-socioeconomic neighborhoods and their higher-income counterparts illustrate vast dissimilarities in early childhood provisions for quality reading materials and instructional aides. In an effort to bridge the educational breach, a collaborative, storytelling-based program entitled Kid Forward was introduced to five nationwide families as a means of assistance for early childhood literacy development. Through the use of demographic surveys, interviews completed before and after the program implementation, and exit surveys, the action research study examined early …


Teaching Place-Based Science In Kindergarten, Lucy Atkins May 2018

Teaching Place-Based Science In Kindergarten, Lucy Atkins

Capstones, Research Projects, and Curricula

This action research explores how kindergarten students learn about forces and motion through inquiry-based, place-based methods. The learning took place as part of an existing day spent learning outdoors, known as Forest Monday, that includes extended time for free play. The three sub-questions addressed 1) science content learning, 2) science practice application, and 3) the incorporation of science content and practices into free play time outdoors. It was a mixed-methods study, with science assessment data supporting observations and interviews. The participants were 12 kindergarten students in a rural elementary school. All students were assessed and interviewed but observations were focused …


The Impact Of Social And Emotional Learning On A Kindergarten Classroom, Rachel Mooy May 2018

The Impact Of Social And Emotional Learning On A Kindergarten Classroom, Rachel Mooy

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of social and emotional learning on the behavior of kindergarten students. Participants were fifteen five and six-year-olds in a private school in a rural setting. Qualitative data was collected through observation in a pre and post intervention setting. Six weeks of social and emotional learning lessons were implemented between observations. The results of this study suggest that social and emotional learning does affect students' behavior in a positive manner.


The Impact Of Technology Selection On Student Literacy Achievement, Elizabeth Daggett May 2018

The Impact Of Technology Selection On Student Literacy Achievement, Elizabeth Daggett

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if prekindergarten students could increase literacy achievement and motivation when the educator selects the technology based on learning goals and the Iowa Early Learning Standards. High quality technology applications were provided during whole group, small group, and learning centers. Data was collected through quantitative means using Teaching Strategies GOLD and the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI) test scores. Analysis of the data collected suggests that the prekindergarten student’s GOLD and IGDI scores increased as specific technology integration was implemented in the classroom.