Early Childhood Education Commons^™

A Pedagogy Of Play: How Pre- And In-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions Of Play Are Influenced As A Result Of Practicum Experience In A Play-Based Environment, E. B. Nygard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

There is a growing body of research behind the play-based movement in education today – a topic that is somewhat controversial (Nicolopoulou et al., 2010; Overstreet, 2018). While some are steeped in a more classical approach to early education, advocating learning should be painful (Adler & Van Doren, 1988), others are paving the way for a more progressive approach, suggesting play to be the premier window into a child’s development (Paley, 1979-2014; Wohlwend & Peppler, 2015). The purpose of this study was to look at how the perceptions of pre- and in-service teachers changed regarding play and storytelling after participating …

Early Childhood Intervention Curriculum Creation: Using Playful Project-Based Learning, Hannah Shullenberger Million

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to present an early intervention curriculum incorporating Project-Based Learning (PBL) and opportunities for play. The project aims to answer the questions: What does a Project-Based Learning curriculum model look like in high quality early childhood special education? How does PBL curriculum work in conjunction with play? The created curriculum answers these questions based on a review of research and guidance from three theoretical frameworks: a Vygotskian Tools of the Mind approach (Bodrova & Leong, 1996), implementation of PBL in early childhood (Lev et al., 2020) and the early intervention Building Blocks framework (Sandall et …

Play-Based Learning In The Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom: Culturally Sustaining Play, Makenzie Evans

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this paper is to explain the importance of play-based learning in early childhood mathematics classroom through culturally sustaining experiences. Approaches to providing culturally sustaining play-based learning within the classroom will be described. The intent is to provide instruction that allows students to be able to connect their imagination and real-world experiences to their mathematics learning through play.

Playing Through Tragedy: A Critical Approach To Welcoming Children’S Social Worlds And Play As Pedagogy, Cassie Brownell

Occasional Paper Series

Children’s play frequently reflects the ways they understand and cope with personal life experiences and those in the wider world. Drawing connections to many of the tenants of Jonathan Silin’s lifelong work, the author offers illustrative examples of why play and children's social worlds matter as well as why adults should pay attention to what children do and say in their play. Through personal stories, the author shows how integrating play(full) experiences into the daily life of a classroom can foster children's understanding of seemingly "difficult" or "adult" ideas and events that may be confusing, fear-inducing or represent significant loss. …

Fostering Children’S Academic Development Through Movement-Based Learning Environments, Hannah Martin

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

This study investigated how play and movement affect young children’s learning in order to provide educators with teaching strategies that are effective and developmentally appropriate in supporting the whole child. Academics, standardized testing, and school readiness have been buzzwords in education since No Child Left Behind was enacted in 2001. The term “school readiness” has been interpreted to indicate worksheets, memorization, and direct instruction to increase academic scores on standardized tests (Klein, 2015). The Common Core Standards for reading have dramatically increased in recent decades, including the expectation that children leaving kindergarten be comprehensive emergent readers (Carlsson-Paige, Bywater-McLaughlin, & …

Discussion-Case Analysis For Facilitating Pre-Service Teachers' Exploration Of Play In The Early Childhood Classroom, Meredith Resnick, Ane T. Johnson

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

This study sought to examine the experience of early childhood pre-service teachers participating in facilitated research analysis with discussion-case application. Specifically, we were interested in the impact on teachers’ knowledge of and attitude towards the role and value of play in the classroom. This study describes the qualitative phase of a sequential explanatory mixed method research project. Eight participants were interviewed after participating in an in-class activity of analyzing a piece of research on play and applying it to a hypothetical discussion-case in a small group Four key findings emerged from this study: participants viewed play as inextricably connected to …

The Importance Of Utilizing Play To Promote Emergent Literacy In Early Childhood Environment, Terisa Scrabeck

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

There is no question that play is important in the lives of children at home and at school. Unfortunately, the amount of play in early childhood classrooms continues to diminish. Teachers are under pressure to meet high academic expectations so they are spending more time on instruction and testing instead of play. Children enjoy play and it improves many different skills, like literacy. Children develop knowledge of literacy as they engage with print. Therefore, literacy can be developed through different types of play, including well-defined enriched literacy play settings and adult role models. The importance of utilizing play to promote …

Living A Philosophy Of Early Childhood Education: A Festschrift For Harriet Cuffaro

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

When Unit Blocks Came To Gardaborg, Kristín Einarsdóttir

Occasional Paper Series

Unit blocks have probably been used in some Icelandic preschools since 1950 or 1960, but a turning point occurred when one of the author's teachers from the Iceland University of Education (Fosturskoli Islands), Jonina Tryggvadottir, returned from studying with Harriet Cuffaro at Bank Street College in New York City.

(De)Composing A Garden For Children's Play, Debra Jean Deverell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kindergarten has been a part of the educational landscape of the United States since 1856, when the first kindergarten opened in Watertown, Wisconsin. If we fast-forward more than a century and a half to the present, it is clear that the landscape composition of the garden-ideologically, culturally, socially, and politically for children's play has drastically changed.

The purpose of this study, (De)Composing a Garden for Children's Play, is to examine kindergartners' play set against changing school polices and practices of recent years in one Colorado school district. Four research questions guided this inquiry:

1. What does kindergarten look like …

The Critical Relationship Of Dramtic Play And Literacy Development: Primary Plays Handbook, Activity Packets And Dramatic Play Kits For The Primary Classrooms, Connie Lewellyn

All Graduate Projects

Dramatic play is a critical element of programs for young children as a means of acquiring literacy. Literacy-enriched play encourages children's exploration of reading and writing in the world around them. Although child-structured dramatic play is widely recognized as being important, few opportunities are provided for primary educators to incorporate this type of drama into their reading curriculums. This project provides a foundation to implement dramatic play activities in the preschool through third grade reading curriculums.