Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Assessing Generalization Of Behavioral Interventions In Teaching Independent Play Skills To Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, David Anthony Defranco

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A myriad of evidence-based practices has been effective in teaching independent play skills to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These interventions include video modeling, activity schedules, task correspondence training, task organization, individual work systems, and matrix training. This systematic review is aimed at examining the various behavioral interventions used to teach independent play skills to children and adolescents with ASD as the independent play literature will be evaluated to see if generalization was programmed for and assessed within the study. As one of the main dimensions of behavior analysis, generalization of skills, specifically independent play skills, is important to …

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice In Early Childhood, Sara Kupzyk, Brenda Bassingthwaite, Adam D. Weaver, Philip D. Nordness Dr.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Young children often present with challenging behaviors such as tantrums, aggression, and noncompliance. Rates of expulsion for behavior concerns in early childhood are alarming and can have long-term negative implications for children and their families (Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, 2022). Implementation of a systematic multi-tiered system of supports framework can improve behavioral outcomes of young children. To effectively meet child and family needs within these frameworks, it is integral for members of the team to collaborate. Interdisciplinary teams within early childhood might include families, teachers, school psychologists, behavior analysts, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other …

Using Restorative Practice To Decrease Behavior And Increase School Community, Kaylee West

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this school improvement plan (SIP) is to address the student behavioral concerns at Huntington Elementary School using restorative practices. Studies suggest that restorative practices can improve student behavior and social emotional skills. The restorative practices that the author intends for the school to use are described within the plan. The SIP aims to use training on restorative practices and restorative circles to improve school culture, community, and student behaviors.

Effects Of Covid-19 On Classroom Behavior Of Elementary School Students, Emma Ballesteros

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone project is to inform parents, current and future educators about the harms that COVID-19 has brought into the classroom after the period of isolation. During this period, families were forced to stay indoors for their safety. Parents had to juggle between their jobs, their children, and themselves. All of these were going on while a child should be focusing on learning in the classroom. Through extensive literature review and interviews with elementary school teachers, the result finding indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause of student behaviors in the classroom that have affected many …

Social-Emotional Learning Strategies In Special Education: An Action Research Project On The Implementation Of The Ruler Approach To Support Social-Emotional Goals Of Tier-3 Intervention Students, Sonya Hayes

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Addressing students’ social-emotional development as it relates to the academic environment has become increasingly important to teachers, administrators, parents, and to the research community. The purpose of this action research study is to determine if the RULER Approach to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is beneficial to students with disabilities as an intensive Tier 3 Intervention as they work towards self-regulation of their emotions in order to increase participation in classroom activities. There were two second grade students with diagnosed disabilities selected to participate in this study. In addition to their defined disabilities, they have also shown to have SEL needs that …

Professional Learning On The Neuroscience Of Challenging Behavior: Effects On Early Childhood Educators’ Beliefs And Practices, Angie Rosati, Jacqueline Lynch

Publications and Scholarship

How early childhood educators understand and interpret the challenging behavior of children will affect how they respond and influence student-teacher relationships. While recent neuroscience explains how challenging behavior can be understood as an automatic response to neurophysiological stress, this research is seldom shared with early childhood educators who generally report lacking tools to manage child behavior and may interpret all challenging behavior as a willful act. This mixed method study examined the effects of a 2-day professional learning (PL) program regarding the neuroscience of child behavior on early educator beliefs and practices in regard to challenging behavior. Pre-post analysis of …

Black Preschool Minds Matter: A Critical Examination Of Preschool Teacher Beliefs About Discipline, Michelle Dejohnette

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Preschoolers are more likely to be expelled than children in any other grade, at more than three times the rate of school-age children. Further, this phenomenon is racialized and gendered. Boys have been expelled at 4.5 times the rate of girls, and Black boys have been twice as likely to be pushed out of their preschool program than their peers (Gilliam et al., 2016). Although Black children comprise only 18.9% of the preschool population, they have been 48% of the total preschool children who received one or more out-of-school suspensions. This unequal suspension rate is one of the most important …

The Effects Of Bibliotherapy On Students With Behavioral Problems: Combating Negative Behavior With Books, Alaina J. Peters

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

At the time of the study, the researcher was a graduate student serving in a yearlong clinical teacher placement. The researcher sought to find an intervention to behavioral problems taking place in a third grade classroom setting. The aim of the study was to diminish the negative behavior occurring in the classroom setting through the use of bibliotherapy. For this study, the researcher collected data through the use of surveys, document collections, interventions, and observation with the addition of field notes. Using the constant comparative method with the addition of descriptive statistics, the author found common themes amongst the data …

The Mind Matters: Yoga And Mindfulness In Preschool And K-12 Schools, Anna E. Hall

Honors Theses

This study uses a systematic literature review to examine the efficacy of preschool and K-12 school based yoga and mindfulness programs. A collection of 47 sources were examined to compare and contrast results and determine best practices. The results of the literature review are divided into three primary categories: implementation methods, student outcomes, and teacher and student opinion. The results suggest that individual and whole school implementation methods are the most effective. The results also suggest that there are positive student outcomes in regards to classroom behavior, child executive functioning, and anxiety. Teacher and student opinion on these programs are …

Movement To Enhance Learning And On-Task Behavior In Early Childhood Classrooms, Angela James

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this literature review was to examine the impact of movement on learning and behavior. The literature provides numerous studies that reveal effects of movement on student achievement and on-task behavior of young children. As educators strive to keep students engaged and on-task, research shows that movement opportunities are a strategy to be utilized. Physical activity can benefit self-regulation and academic performance. Strategies for using movement in the classroom are given to support teachers.

The Impact Of Grace And Courtesy Lessons On Self-Regulation In A Toddler Montessori Environment, Catherine S. T. Greene

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The skills associated with self-regulation begin in toddlerhood. This action research study was designed to assess the impact of Grace and Courtesy lessons on toddler behavior. Students participated in lessons on how to greet a friend, how to ask for a turn and how to express affection. The study took place in a Montessori toddler classroom of 14 children, aged 26-36 months old. The classroom was part of a half-day Montessori preschool located in the South Eastern United States. I used field notes and tally marks to observe behavior in the classroom. Observations were done daily, and the data collection …

Social Stories And Student Behavior In A Kindergarten Classroom, Amy Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of a whole group social story on the practice and development of self-regulatory skills of kindergarten students. The research setting was a small, rural public school in the Midwest. The participants were 16 five and six-year old students in a general education kindergarten classroom. Qualitative and quantitative data focusing on self-regulatory behaviors was collected through observation during pre and post-intervention times. Kindergarten students participated in four weeks of a whole group social story intervention that occurred between the data collection weeks. This social story focused on positive and appropriate …

Using Role Play To Teach Social Emotional Skills In The Early Childhood Classroom, Rebecca Havens

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine if using role play in the classroom would be an effective teaching strategy to improve the social emotional skills of kindergarten students. With the focus of kindergarten shifting towards more academics, it remains important to teach social and emotional skills with an effective, efficient approach. Participants included 19 kindergarten students in a small elementary school in the Midwest. The research included using children’s literature to prompt discussions and role playing activities around social emotional skills. The role play activities included practicing what to say to a peer when a problem arises in …

Utilizing Classroom Meetings To Understand Student Values And Perceptions, Stacy Spink

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addressed classroom meetings in order to teach social skills and address specific behavior issues. The author was completing a yearlong clinical teaching placement in a kindergarten classroom. The goal of her study was to observe what happens when class meetings are implemented to teach specific problem-areas in the classroom. In the study data was gathered through observations, student surveys, sociograms, and student interviews. The students participated in a class meeting twice a week for about thirty minutes. During the class meetings needed social skills were taught through play and role-playing activities and discussions were had to cooperatively solve …

Behavioral Effects Of Outdoor Learning On Primary Students, Makena Cameron, Samantha Mcgue

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Children have an innate sense of curiosity about nature. “When children come in contact with nature, they reveal their strength” (Montessori, 1967, pg. 69) and therefore, outdoor education can be a useful learning tool for students. Whether being outdoors or bringing the nature-based activities inside, children have the opportunity to work with all of their senses. A growing number of schools around the United States have begun adding outdoor learning to their curriculum (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998) to bring a positive outcome to students’ behavior. Outdoor learning provides another environment that children can thrive in and hopefully benefit from. As …

An Investigation On Gender And The Effects On Behavior In Early Childhood Classrooms, Chia Jung Yeh, Aspen Rae Yordy, Ajay Singh

Journal of Research Initiatives

Researchers who have studied children behavior in early childhood classrooms have found that classrooms are the first place where children learn about acceptable behavior and societal norms. Gender and behavior have been studied on children of later ages, i.e.; elementary, middle, high school, and higher education, but little has been researched regarding children of younger ages. Researchers of this study used quantitative methods to investigate, gender and the effects on children behavior in early childhood classrooms? The researchers recruited a total of 105 preschoolers from seven different classrooms in the Southwest Central region in the United States, to investigate, if …

Preschool Teachers' Perceptions Of Children Prenatally Exposed To Drugs, Brandie D. Maness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the incidence of prenatal drug exposure increasing, it is important that preschool teachers are prepared and confident in serving the needs of children affected by this exposure. Teachers need more training and education to prepare them for working with children with prenatal drug exposure.

The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to explore the perceptions, training, and shared experiences of preschool teachers when working with 4- and 5-year-old preschool children who have experienced prenatal drug exposure. The researcher invited 77 preschool teachers in northeast Tennessee working in either Head Start or Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K Initiative programs to complete …

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.

A Review Of Survey Data Collected On The Use Of Applied Behavior Analytic (Aba) Based Instructional Strategies By Educators In Pennsylvania Schools, Eric J. Bieniek, Mike Monfore, Matthew Erickson, Ashlea Rineer-Hershey, Richael Barger-Anderson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This survey was initiated to explore the perceptions and daily practices of Applied behavior Analytic ABA) by educators supporting exceptional learners in public and private school settings in Pennsylvania. This survey explores the degree to which educators are trained, feel confident in and actually carry out a range evidenced based practices following an ABA approach. Results are also presented in regards to barriers that educators feel limit the delivery of ABA based approaches and undermine the fidelity of interventions once introduced in their professional settings.

The Effects Of Picture Activity Schedules On Transition Times In An Inclusive Preschool Classroom, Elizabeth A. Reis

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

This study determined the effectiveness of using picture activity schedules with preschoolers who exhibited disruptive behaviors in an inclusive setting during transition times in a public preschool. The participants in this study were three male and one female student, ages 3 years to 5 years, who were enrolled in an inclusive public preschool. All children are Caucasian. Three of the children had an individualized education plan including goals for speech and social-emotional concerns. One child was typically developing and did not have an individualized education plan. The study method used a single-subject withdrawal design (ABAB). The results confirmed that the …

Pbis: Moving Beyond A Focus On Behavior To Relationships, Sylvia Chavez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (SW-PBIS or PBIS) is a classroom management system that has become increasingly popular in our k-12 educational systems. PBIS was originally created for special needs students and it is now being enforced in schools with a majority of minority students. This classroom management method relies on a token rewards system that focuses on reinforcing positive behavior in the classroom. Issues with this classroom management system encompass it being a form of exclusionary discipline, a student conditioning system and not a culturally grounded/responsive system. For this Capstone Project, teachers and students were interviewed to better …

Addressing Behavioral Deficits In Early Childhood Education: Promoting Positive Socio-Emotional Development Through Dramatic Play, Abbi Strobbe

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This paper investigates the detrimental effects behavior can have on a child’s social-emotional development and the vital role dramatic play opportunities have in overcoming these developmental deficits. A child’s trajectory for success in school begins in early childhood. Children experience meaningful connections to learning, as well as higher teacher and peer approval, when they are capable of maintaining positive interactions in the classroom. For this to occur, children must have a solid foundation in socio-emotional skills such as expression, understanding, and regulation. Behavioral deficits impede development and reduce the likelihood of academic achievement. However, application of early behavioral and social …

The Relationship Between Exposure To Specialized Staff In A Classroom Setting And Observable Behaviors Among Students With Special Needs, Rachel Marie Prisco

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to identify differences in the later integration of children with mild to moderate special needs based on their exposure to specialized staff regardless of the type of preschool they attended. This is done by observing the behaviors exhibited by those students with special needs and the proportion of the student’s day in a traditional classroom. One of the most noted issues with students who have special needs is their lack of appropriate early intervention with specifically-trained staff. This may attribute to those students delay in social emotional skills, and cognitive skills. Transitions, specifically those from one classroom …

Preferred Behavioral Management Strategies Of 3rd - 5th Grade Teachers, Anna Dowdell

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the preferred behavioral management strategies among 3rd - 5th grade teachers. The study explored the main discipline problems that these teachers experience in their classrooms and how they handle them. It also explored the teachers’ opinions of the effectiveness of their preferred behavioral management strategies.

Vcu Professor Researches Early Intervention Programs For Preschools, Ties To Rtr Program, Sterling Giles

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

The Institute for Education Sciences, IES, a branch of the US Department of Education, awarded a grant to VCU professors Bryce McLeod, Ph.D and Kevin Sutherland, Ph.D to research behavioral problems in local preschool children. The four-year grant totaled up to $1.6 million.

Utilizing Applied Behavior Analysis: A Handbook For Teachers Who Are Dealing With Developmentally Delayed Children, Cleresse Sprague

All Graduate Projects

The author's perception is that a need exists for a classroom behavior management handbook targeting developmentally delayed children ages three years through first grade. Several occurrences have prompted this perception: 1. Approach by other teachers asking how to handle certain behaviors 2. Author's own experiences and frustrations 3. Participation in group discussions regarding behaviors The author has chosen to do this study and develop a handbook to meet this perceived need.

Evaluating Kinetic Family Drawings As A Screening Device For The Identification Of At-Risk First Graders In Public Schools, Deena M. Harral

Student Dissertations & Theses

The assessment and evaluation of the Kinetic Family Drawing Instrument as a screening device was used to identify possible "at risk” first grade students in public school. It was hypothesized that the KFD would serve as a better means of identification than teacher referral alone. Seventy-five first grade students from a Chapter I school participated in the study. A check list of seven classroom behaviors was given to the teachers of the participating students to identify "at risk" behaviors in the classroom. It was found that if the teacher check list were used as the sole source of "at risk" …

Making The Most Of Volunteer Help: A Handbook For Parents And Teachers, Janet Lynn Bond

Student Dissertations & Theses

This project is concerned with the importance of parental involvement in children learning to read. Research shows children who view reading as an important and valuable process develop a more positive attitude toward learning to read. Children involved in reading activities at home learn to read earlier and have improved comprehension over children who have no experiences reading in the home. Parent involvement can take place in the home or at school as classroom volunteers. This project contains a volunteer handbook for parents and teachers. Included are characteristics of a volunteer, tips for teachers, suggested activities for the classroom and …

Detrimental Student Behaviors As Perceived By Elementary Teachers, Jimmy D. Lindsey, Greg H. Frith

Research, Publications & Creative Work

The purpose of the is study was to identify a common core of behaviors as perceived by elementary teachers who work with socially and emotionally disordered (S-ED) students. Fifty elementary teachers were randomly selected from a pool of 525 teachers to participate by giving perceptions. The teachers rank ordered ten general, ten socialization, and ten communication asocial behaviors in terms of these behaviors' detrimental effect on instruction. The behaviors ranked as the most detrimental 9the common core) were those describing active and/or aggressive actions. When S-ED students exhibit active and aggressive behaviors, elementary teachers perceive them to be behaving in …