Young Children’S Civicness: A Close Look At Membership And Community, Katherina A. Payne, Sunmin Lee, Molly E. Mcmanus

Democracy & Education

As one of the first communities outside of young children’s private spheres of family, scholars consistently position school as an ideal space for civic education. At its core, civic education helps young children cultivate communities that support broader societal structures and mores. As children negotiate new constellations of people within a place, we wondered, what are some ways in which young children construct their membership in the initial civic communities that schools purport to cultivate? Drawing on data from a yearlong ethnographic study of three classrooms in a Head Start in a large city in Texas, we examine how children …

Funding & Resource Adequacy In Mississippi Head Start Programs: Perspectives From The Field, Anna Carlisle Nichols

Honors Theses

Head Start plays a vital role in supporting children from low-income families by providing comprehensive early education, health, nutrition, and family support services. Decades of research demonstrate that participation in Head Start improves cognitive development, social-emotional skills, and long-term educational outcomes. However, a growing body of research suggests that Head Start funding may be insufficient to fully meet the needs of eligible children, raising concerns about program capacity, staffing, and service quality, particularly in high-poverty states that provide no direct state supplemental funding, like Mississippi. This study examines the extent to which Mississippi’s Head Start programs have the resources necessary …

Importance Of Implementing Equity-Minded Pedagogy For Students In Early Childhood Education, Reina A. Yorba-Rico

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Equity-minded pedagogy has become increasingly important in early childhood education as educators work to address systemic inequities affecting student learning, belonging, and long-term academic success. Early childhood classrooms serve as foundational spaces where students begin developing academic identities, social relationships, and perceptions of school environments. Because of this, inequitable teaching practices and exclusionary systems can have lasting consequences for historically marginalized students, including students of color, multilingual learners, low-income families, and first-generation students. Equity-minded pedagogy moves beyond equal treatment by recognizing structural barriers and intentionally creating inclusive learning environments that support diverse student needs. This senior capstone research project examines …

Leading With Dignity: Addressing Occupational Stigma Through Inclusive Leadership Practices In Early Childhood Education, Elizabeth Terry

Doctorate in Education

Early childhood education (ECE) leaders navigate a historically undervalued and stigmatized profession, facing unique challenges in advocating for workforce recognition. This study examined how ECE leaders enact inclusive leadership practices despite systemic constraints. By exploring leaders' experiences across diverse organizational contexts, this research contributes to understanding professional dignity and leadership in caring professions. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with six early childhood leaders across diverse organizational contexts in Western Washington. Through thematic analysis, five themes emerged: (a) advocacy as an integrated leadership identity, (b) confronting occupational stigma and professional invisibility, (c) relational leadership practices as a foundation for inclusion, …

Success Stories From Ecd Educators And Community Lead Facilitators, Yasmeen Mehboob, Kausar Waqar, Tahira Jabeen, Bibi Salima, Zakir Ahmad

Books

These stories are intended to inspire learning and reflection. As each context is different, the approaches and outcomes described may not apply in the same way elsewhere. Readers are encouraged to thoughtfully adapt these insights to their own settings.

Child Care For Student Parents: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Policy And Politics In Nys, Elizabeth M. Starks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This policy analysis dissertation explores the complex and multifaceted challenges that exist within New York State’s early childhood care and education (ECCE) system by critically examining the amendment of one NYS social services law. Guided by Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, this study examines two research questions (under one overarching question):

1. What language and arguments are effective in making change in Early Childhood policy in NYS?
   1. What is the policy discourse surrounding the amendment of subdivision 1 of section 410-w social services law in NYS?
   2. What is the political discourse surrounding the amendment of subdivision 1 of section 410-w social services …

Early Childhood Educators Around The City Struggle With Delayed Payments From The City, Shenal F. Tissera

Capstones

My story focuses on early childhood education centers and funding issues that teachers have gone through with the city. Many early education centers receive funding directly from the NYC Department of Education to operate and rely on such funding for rent, electricity and supplies. Since COVID, the city has had an issue with getting payments to these centers on time. My story focuses on a education center teacher and owner who dealt with these issues while going through personal tragedies. The problem is complex and has much to do with staffing shortages that are slowly getting back to pre-pandemic levels …

Observing Language & Literacy In Real-World Contexts: Applied Field Observation Assignment, Chanda Huston

Open Educational Resources

This assignment guides undergraduate early childhood education students through three structured observations of children’s language and literacy behaviors in authentic environments such as homes, classrooms, and community spaces. Students learn to record objective, descriptive notes; analyze communication through developmental and sociocultural lenses; and connect their interpretations to meaningful curriculum planning. The assignment emphasizes professional skills essential to early childhood educators, including documentation, theoretical application, and reflective practice, helping students deepen their understanding of how young children use language and engage with emerging literacy in everyday contexts.

Creating A Literacy-Rich Learning Environment For Early Childhood: Classroom Design & Group Project Assignment, Chanda Huston

Open Educational Resources

This assignment guides undergraduate early childhood education students in collaboratively designing a literacy-rich classroom environment for children ages 3–5. Students research features of high-quality early language and literacy spaces, create a mock classroom layout using a format of their choice, and justify their design decisions by applying relevant developmental and literacy theories. The project emphasizes creativity, inclusivity, and practical application of early childhood literacy principles. Students conclude by demonstrating a literacy activity that connects directly to their classroom design and supports children’s communication, emergent literacy, and engagement.

How Do Homeschool Parents In South Carolina Select Curriculum And Make Pedagogical Choices To Support Their Children’S Early Reading Development?, Lauretta O. Osho

All Dissertations

Early Childhood Education (ECE) is a period of growth and development for young children as they begin their educational journey. The need for a high-quality early childhood learning experience is necessary for the child’s holistic development, without which children may grow up with learning challenges that could negatively impact their adult life. Each child's early learning experience must begin with a good and deliberate reading foundation. Therefore, understanding the best methods of instilling strong reading skills in children from an early age sets the foundation for lifelong learning and success.

Homeschooling is the practice of educating, instructing, and tutoring children …

Exploring Teacher Decision-Making Based On 4k Children’S Emotional Observations And Narratives: A Multiple Case Study, Keith Johnston

All Dissertations

The benefits of quality social-emotional instruction in early childhood programs are well established. The crux of delivering these benefits lies in teacher social-emotional decision-making in early childhood classrooms. While there is scant research on the topic, there is evidence that decentralizing social-emotional decision-making can help teachers achieve better outcomes by including families and other early childhood professionals, using data to inform decisions, and reviewing research. The current study is a multi-case qualitative analysis of two 4K teachers from a child development center in the South Carolina Upstate. It describes how the two subjects use social-emotional decision-making to support their students’ …

A “Teaching As Emergent Learning” Approach To Teaching Deep Creativity, Steven Greenstein, Iain Kerr, Emily Olson

LASER Journal

Creativity is the process by which a change that is new and different emerges. We call it deep when it yields novel forms of both quantitative and qualitative change. If we are to take on the most pressing and persistent challenges to our social, global, and planetary well-being, we need novel approaches of a qualitatively different kind than those that have failed to bring about radical change in the past. In other words, we need deep creativity. The paradox at the heart of ``ideation-first" approaches to creative practice (e.g., brainstorming or ideating) is that if creativity aims to produce outcomes …

Pro-Blackness In Early Childhood Education: Diversifying Curriculum And Pedagogy In K-3 Classrooms, David Sandles Jr.

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

In the book Pro-Blackness in Early Childhood Education: Diversifying Curriculum and Pedagogy in K-3 Classrooms, the authors advocate for an educational framework centered on Black cultural principles and values, specifically addressing the impact of anti-Blackness in educational spaces. This text emphasizes the importance of incorporating African Diaspora Literacy (ADL) to support Black children's academic and cultural growth, while rejecting deficit perspectives often shaped by white-dominated educational theories. It highlights the necessity of an Afrocentric approach to curriculum and pedagogy that incorporates historical consciousness, cultural dimensions, and language diversity. By focusing on pro-Black pedagogies, such as the African American Language …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Closing The African American Achievement Gap, Cherie Mcelroy-Burch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a persistent academic achievement gap between African American students and their White peers in Grades 1–3. Federal and state governments have made numerous efforts, implemented policy changes, and allocated more resources to struggling school districts, yet the disparity in academic achievement persists. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives on the challenges of closing the achievement gap between African American students and their White peers in Grades 1–3. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Coll and Lamberty’s model of developmental competencies in minority children. The research question for …

Being In Community With Children And Engaging Their Full Range Of Civic Capabilities. A Response To "Learning To Talk And Listen In Elementary Social Studies: Exploring A Third-Grade Teacher’S Decision To Use Classroom Talk For Community Building", Katherina A. Payne

Democracy & Education

Early childhood social studies should open opportunities for children to make sense of their social world; the civic question of how we live together is central to the social world. Elementary classrooms are uniquely positioned to support democratic civic education given the amount of time children and adults spend together, the emphasis placed on cultivating a positive classroom community, and children’s capabilities to cultivate relationships full of care and concern for people from outside their close familial relations. In response to Lo’s (2025) examination of a third-grade teacher’s use of discussion to engage in contentious topics while cultivating a sense …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives On Challenges Using Developmentally Appropriate Practices In The Classroom, Tamesha Samone Parris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood teachers’ understanding of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is necessary to support children’s development and learning in early childhood settings. The problem was many early childhood teachers experience challenges using DAP to make informed decisions in the classroom to support birth to 3-year-old children’s development and learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives on challenges using DAP to make informed decisions to support birth to 3-year-old children’s development and learning in the classroom and what was needed to improve their use of DAP. The conceptual framework for this study was the National …

Effects Of Teen Parents On Elementary School Students’ Academic Performance And Well-Being, Victoria Canchola

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone research project examines the academic achievement and general welfare of elementary school children who have teenage parents. With the help of literature review, original qualitative research, anonymous surveys were sent to teachers and teen parents. The result findings uncover the difficulties faced by children of adolescent parents in terms of educational attainment. Highlighted findings revealed the complex interplay of socio-economic disadvantage, inadequate parental self-efficacy, emotional distress, and heightened learning environment barriers that these students face. These in turn affect their trajectory of development. In addition, responses from teachers indicated the chronic underachieving academically, exhibiting behavioral problems of the …

Enhancing Kindergarten Readiness, Alexander J. Smith

Masters Projects

This project aims to tackle the issue of kindergarten readiness. Chapter 1 focuses on the significant gap in kindergarten preparedness, with many children lacking the academic, social, and emotional skills needed for a successful kindergarten transition. Socioeconomic disparities, lack of access to good early childhood education, and the compounded effect of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted early learning opportunities and parental engagement have widened this gap. As such, the project presents a Kindergarten Readiness Toolkit that aims to promote young learners' academic and social-emotional skills by providing targeted interventions. The second chapter thoroughly reviews the literature, including the use of …

Effects Of Pre-K Attendance On Academic Achievement, Elizabeth Spinsby

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This study investigates the impact of pre-kindergarten (pre-K) attendance on academic achievement in literacy and math among students in grades K–2 at a private Catholic school. Data were collected from standardized assessments, comparing students who attended school-based pre-K to those who did not. Results show a statistically significant advantage in literacy for pre-K attendees at the beginning of kindergarten, particularly in the 2024–2025 cohort. However, these academic benefits tend to diminish over time, with no consistent significant differences observed in higher grades. The findings highlight the importance of early childhood education in providing an initial academic boost, though sustaining these …

The Power Of Predictability: Examining The Impact Of Structured Routines On Behavior And Attentiveness In Early Childhood Education, Brittany Peters

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This study examines how structured routines impact preschoolers' attentiveness and behavior in a small-town classroom with a diverse student population, including ELLs and children with IEPs. The research uses observations, teacher interviews, and parent surveys to examine how routines shape engagement, transitions, and self-regulation. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates qualitative and quantitative data to explore how these routines influence engagement, transitions, and behavioral development. The study gathers data through systematic observations, structured behavioral assessments, semi-structured teacher interviews, and parent surveys, providing insights from multiple perspectives. Drawing on the principles of practitioner inquiry (Fichtman-Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2020), the study …

Language And Literacy In Early Childhood Education: Hybrid Syllabus, Michele De Goeas-Malone

Open Educational Resources

Language and Literacy in Early Childhood Education is a capstone course, which means it is a core course in the education degree that offers students nearing graduation the opportunity to integrate their learning to help them address issues in education related to the development of language and literacy from birth to 8 years of age. This course is also a writing intensive course. That means that you will be engaged in several high and low stakes writing activities throughout the semester.

This course is designed to promote your understanding of the importance of issues concerning language and literacy in early …

Social Stories To Shape Impulsive Behaviors To Increase Self-Regulation In Preschoolers, Caroline Claire Hargrave

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Students need to be able to self-regulate their behavior within the classroom, thus not interrupting instruction and keeping the classroom running smoothly. Self-regulation is a critical skill children need to succeed in multiple aspects of life. Poor self-regulation skills can lead to challenges academically as well as socially. Contrary to self-regulation is impulsivity, which surrounds not thinking before doing. Impulsivity is a common factor seen within the preschool setting, which surrounds multiple behavior variations deemed unsuitable for classroom learning. Previous research indicates that social stories can be implemented within the classroom to decrease inappropriate behaviors in preschoolers with …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Impact Of Resiliency On Child Behavior: A Quality Improvement Project, Macy Kraft

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences can have a significant impact on a person’s future health and wellness. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare professionals to increase their understanding of possible mediating factors to lessen the impact of these experiences should they occur.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based quality improvement initiative designed to enhance the formal behavioral assessments of pre-school children following the participation of their caregivers in an ACEs and resiliency educational intervention.

Methods: Implementation of a two-armed intervention; a brief educational session aimed at providing an introduction to ACEs and a …

Exploring Childcare Leaders’ Perspectives On Program Philosophies At The Intersection Of Care, Education, And Business: A Multi-Method (Qual + Qual) Study Using Simon Sinek’S Golden Circle, Megan Kybartas

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-method (QUAL + qual) study explores childcare leaders’ perspectives on program philosophies at the intersection of care, education, and business, which I call The Childcare Tripartite. Recognizing the significant dependency on high-quality childcare services and the foundational role of program philosophies in achieving this quality, this research addresses a notable gap in the literature regarding how early childhood leaders communicate and prioritize their program philosophies within the complex American childcare landscape. Employing semi-structured interviews, documentary materials, and demographic forms, and analyzed through both thematic and deductive content analysis, drawing on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, the study uncovers how philosophical …

Exploring Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions Of Lockdown Drills: Preparedness, Training Needs, And The Balance With Social-Emotional Development, Juniper Alaska Brewer

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

The purpose of this study was to evaluate early childhood educators’ perceptions of lockdown drills. It assessed feelings of preparedness, perceived training needs, and balancing safety protocols with children's social-emotional development. A multi-methods online survey was distributed to 13 early childhood educators and students in the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) field, collecting both quantitative and qualitative responses via Qualtrics.

Survey data showed educators strongly agreed drills prepare them for emergencies (average 4.46/5) and generally agreed drills prepare children (4.08/5), though responses were more neutral about reducing educator anxiety (3.77/5). Only one participant reported occasional training; most (7 of 13) …

Restorative Justice In Early Childhood Education: A Professional Development Model And Observational Study Of Classroom Implementation, Sarah Cummins

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This three-article dissertation explores the use of restorative justice (RJ) in educational settings, with a specific focus on early childhood programs. Restorative justice is a conflict resolution approach that prioritizes repairing harm, restoring trust, and empowering individuals to self-advocate rather than relying solely on punitive measures. While research has demonstrated the success of RJ in middle and high schools, and to some extent in elementary schools, limited attention has been given to its application in early childhood education. This dissertation examines the potential benefits of RJ in early childhood classrooms, including fostering social-emotional learning, student-led conflict resolution, and a positive …

Boy Whose Head Was Filled With Stars: A Life Of Edwin Hubble (2021) By Isabelle Marinov, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

Barely a hundred years ago, Edwin Hubble changed the way we understand the universe and our place in it more dramatically than almost anyone else has ever done. As this picture book biography shows, his mind-boggling discoveries can be traced back to childhood questions. The discovery that the world is bigger than we had imagined happens in many ways, and learning that we have some choices in deciding how new facts, new experiences, and new perspectives can matter to us is a necessary part of education.

Strengthening Early Childhood Education: Increasing Family Engagement At The Sprout School Of Richmond, Virginia, Tara Davison, Jennifer Meadows

Doctor of Education Capstones

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Richmond is dedicated to fostering community and combating discrimination through various initiatives. Their early childhood education program, the Sprout School, is one initiative that strives to serve families from all walks of life within the Richmond community. However, a significant challenge faced by the Sprout School is increasing family engagement, which is crucial for strengthening the relationships among parents, teachers, and students. Research indicates that effective family engagement can positively influence children's educational experiences and outcomes. To address this, the research team conducted a mixed-methods study to assess the current state of family …

Support Early Childhood Educators Need To Strengthen Teacher Retention, Anne Zimpel

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood educators (ECEs), referring to professionals who work with young children in various settings, often face feelings of isolation and lack of a 'sense of community/belonging.' These connections are essential to providing high-quality care for young children (NAEYC 2020). Feelings of isolation and lack of connections lead educators to burnout and emotional exhaustion. This research paper focuses on how ECEs can engage as professionals to build confidence in current practices, lessen isolation, and increase retention to reduce burnout and emotional exhaustion. It is essential to support early childhood professionals so that they can offer quality care for children. A …

Improve Mentorship Through Meaningful Feedback And Coaching, Molly Montavon

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Mentoring within a school setting has been formalized and researched; however, there is minimal research surrounding mentoring in early childhood education settings. Students attending a community college for early childhood education are sent to centers that do not offer mentoring training to support the students through their education journey. This results in the students having inconsistent experiences that could lead to them exiting the program and field. The lack of formalized mentor training catalyzes this school improvement plan for a local community college. The mentors have experience and education while presenting best practices within early childhood education. This plan will …