Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Teacher Interactions, Teacher Bias And Child Behavioral Health, Ellen E. Edge

Doctoral Dissertations

TEACHER INTERACTIONS, TEACHER BIAS AND CHILD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SEPTEMBER 2020 ELLEN ELLSBERG EDGE, BFA, THE COOPER UNION SCHOOL OF ART Post BA, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST M.ED, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph. D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Claire Hamilton This study utilized a mixed methods study design to gain a clearer understanding of the thoughts and feelings of Lead teachers in Head Start programs who work with children with perceived behavioral health challenges. Utilizing a semi-structured interview, 11 teachers employed in a New England Head Start program were asked about their views associated with child behavioral health, …

Increasing Nutrition And Healthy Eating Among Preschoolers, Hanyssa Usi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There is little nutritional education in preschools. Children are not being taught about the importance of eating nutritious foods. When children are taught about nutrition, they will create positive eating habits that could make them less susceptible to health complications. To address the lack of nutrition education, I created a three-day lesson about nutrition for preschoolers at Teddy Bear Learning Center in Monterey, California.

Preschool Assessment, Christy Faber

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Assessments in early childhood are being addressed by educational leaders, administrators and teachers to meet the needs of preschoolers and ensure that these young children are school-ready. A school improvement plan was created using research-based methods. This school improvement plan looks at the need to create a developmentally appropriate preschool assessment report based on state standards with age appropriate objectives outlining specific benchmark skills to show teachers and parents an accurate picture of how children are progressing and growing. The focus of the literature review is based on the need for preschool assessments, types of assessments that are developmentally appropriate …

Pre-A Guided Reading In Early Childhood Literacy Skills, Laura Schumacher

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to show that gains in literacy skills through implementation of guided reading practices at the preschool level, if successful, prove that guided reading instruction is a meaningful and purposeful practice in teaching literacy skills at the early childhood level. The researcher worked with 47 preschool children ages four and five. Participants attended a state-funded preschool program in an elementary school building. An alphabet literacy skills pre-test was given. A writing sample of the participant' s names, with no visual reference, was obtained. Throughout the weeks, students participated in lessons and activities that …

The Effect Of The Missouri Preschool Program On School Readiness, Madeline June Allin

Dissertations

National policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have consistently questioned how to develop the necessary skills for the nation’s youth to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The answer points directly to the provision of highquality early childhood programs to prepare children for entrance to kindergarten and put them on a trajectory toward lifelong positive outcomes (Ferrarello, 2017; Phillips et al., 2017). The Missouri Preschool Program is a high-quality, state grant-funded program, with grant priority given to schools serving a large number of disadvantaged children (MODESE, 2018a). The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to compare the school readiness skills …

Psychosocial Effects Of Shared Book Reading, Amy Halling

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many studies have examined the academic benefits of parents reading with their children, but few studies have looked at the psychological and social benefits, and even fewer have related the quality of shared book reading to psycho-social benefits. This study looked at whether positive and negative reading interactions during shared book reading predicted parent-child relationships, child social skills and child academic skills. Twenty-five parents of 4-year-olds read a story with their child and completed parent relationship and child social skills questionnaires. The reading interactions were then coded into two separate composite scores: positive and negative. Positive interactions did not significantly …

How Can Teachers Support School Readiness Skills Through Social And Emotional Development For Male Students?, Tara Funseth

Graduate Teacher Education

Gender has an influence on how children learn. According to data, preschool males fell behind females in social and emotional development (Kent and Pitsia, 2018). Teachers support school readiness skills through social and emotional development for male students. To ensure male student learning styles are supported, teachers need to modify teaching methods. One challenge is educators are female dominant and expectations of children may have been designed for females. This paper synthesized peer reviewed journal articles and book research on why children needed social and emotional skills and how males and females differed in social and emotional development. The research …

How Can Play-Based Learning With Authentic Assessment Practices Support Healthy Development In Preschool Classrooms?, Megan Nelson

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood educators need to recognize the importance of implementing play-based learning as a developmentally appropriate practice to support young children’s development. Play provides children opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and understandings through materials in the environment, expand on prior experiences and learn alongside peers. Teachers can authentically gain valuable information from children’s play to plan appropriate lessons to foster development (NAEYC, 2009). Instead of using natural routines to assess and gather information about a child’s knowledge and behavior, educators use standardized methods to determine a child’s capabilities. This paper synthesized available research on qualitative and quantitative studies that analyzed the …

Social And Emotional Development To Foster Academic Growth In English Language Learning Preschoolers, Donna Mangone

Graduate Teacher Education

The fastest growing population of students entering preschool classrooms are English language learners (Winsler et al., 2014). Not only is the population of English language learners growing (Winsler et al., 2014), but there is a steady increase in the academic achievement gap. Further, the growth of ELL students corresponds with the gap. Related to both is social and emotional development. Social and emotional skills provide the apparatus for all learning. The early childhood educator is well-versed in teaching these skills. Therefore, an early childhood educator teaching social and emotional development to English language learners provides opportunities to remedy the academic …

In What Ways Can Phonemic Awareness Skills Be Targeted Strategically In Early Childhood Classrooms To Support Healthy Developmental Growth?, Karen Groth

Graduate Teacher Education

Phonemic awareness is a skill that is learned prior to learning phonics and reading. Phonological and phonemic awareness activities are taught through games, books, and activities. Exposure to phonological and phonemic activities begin as soon as birth and will continue through kindergarten. As curriculum and teachers moved away from explicit instruction in phonemic awareness activities and toward other standards, it has been important to continue to teach these skills. Children with strong phonemic awareness skills are more advanced readers and more advanced writers. Synthesizing the current research and information available included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies in phonemic awareness …

The Reggio Emilia And The Mosaic Approach: Opponents Or Allies In Multimodal Teaching And Learning? A Discussion Of Their Contribution To Multimodal Learning In Early Years Education, Neuza Brandao, Evgenia Theodotou

Journal of Global Education and Research

Multimodality is an important element of teaching and learning in early years settings. It provides opportunities for young children to communicate using different resources they feel comfortable with. This paper focuses on multimodality and multimodal learning in early years education and the different approaches, which can be used to create a multimodal learning environment. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how two powerful approaches, such as the Reggio Emilia and the Mosaic allow multimodal learning, which is crucial for children’s holistic development. The Reggio Emilia approach and the Mosaic approach are discussed, focusing on the strategies used to …

Measuring Preschool Parents’ Attitudes Towards Science: Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A Parent Version Of The Dimension Of Attitudes Towards Science Instrument., Alexandra E. Adair

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Presently, no measure or theoretical framework exists for preschool parents’ attitudes towards science. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure of preschool parents’ attitudes towards science with a corresponding theoretical framework, as well as explore related constructs. To develop the measure, I adapted Wendt and Rockinson-Szapkiw’s (2017) English translation of van Aalderen-Smeets & Walma van der Molen’s (2013) Dimensions of Science (DAS) scale by making it appropriate for use with preschool parents.

The Preschool Parents Dimensions of Science Scale (PP-DAS) was pilot tested and revised before being administered to 330 preschool parents in the United …

Evaluating The Perceptions Of Preschool Teachers And Administrators On Mental Health Services In The School Setting, Celia Tavarez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health can impact a child’s success in many aspects, including in the school setting. School settings are very often the only place that provide an opportunity for families to be able to receive mental health services for their children. It is imperative that schools meet the mental health needs of the children who attend their schools. This research project examines data and information gathered from educators and school administrators to help us understand their experiences, successes, and/or displeasure about the services that are offered or not offered within the agency they work for. The literature review discusses the definition …

Effects Of A Visual Script With Multiple Peer Responses On The Reciprocal Responses Of Preschool-Aged Children During Play, Shea Manship

Masters Theses, 2020-current

A primary focus of many early childhood educational settings is the development of appropriate play skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using a visual script that included multiple peer responses on the participants’ appropriate reciprocal responses to peers during play time. A concurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to determine if the use of the visual script would increase the number of appropriate reciprocal responses to peers, and if the average duration of play following successful initiation would increase. The researcher observed two preschool-aged children during free play. During free play, the …

Understanding Early Childhood Engineering Interest Development As A Family-Level Systems Phenomenon: Findings From The Head Start On Engineering Project, Scott Pattison, Gina Svarovsky, Smirla Ramos-MontañEz, Ivel Gontan, Shannon Weiss, VeróNika NúÑEz, Pam Corrie, Cynthia Smith, Marcie Benne

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

There is growing recognition that interest is critical for engaging and supporting learners from diverse communities in engineering and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. Although interest research has historically focused on older children, studies demonstrate that preschool-age and younger children also develop persistent, individualized interests in different objects, activities, and topics and that these early interests have important implications for ongoing learning and development. Unfortunately, there is relatively little research on engineering learning in early childhood and almost no work specific to the concept of interest. To begin to address this need, we conducted in-depth case study …

Introducing Nutrition Education To Preschoolers, Maythe Manriquez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper is about the importance of including nutrition education in preschool curriculum. It includes my process of creating and implementing a 3-day nutrition curriculum and how it impacted the children that took place in the program. This paper also goes over important influences on the development of children's eating habits.

Fostering Social And Emotional Learning In Early Childhood Education, Allison Cawaling

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In early childhood education centers, children often lack the opportunity to learn about and develop their social and emotional skills. Without strong social and emotional skills, children may demonstrate behavior problems and low academic success later in school. Therefore I have created a three-day lesson on social and emotional learning for preschool aged children at the Cabrillo College Children’s Center in Aptos, California.

Introducing Science Education In Early Childhood, Marissa M. Arciniega

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The increasing focus on literacy development and kindergarten readiness in preschool has created a lack of science education in early childhood education. In recent research, Head Start found that of the four academic readiness domains for preschoolers (i.e., language, literacy, math, and science), science is the lowest-performing area amongst students in their program (Bustamante, White, & Greenfield, 2018). Research is showing that declining performance in science is partly due to the lack of science education in classrooms. Lack of science is not only affecting school performance down the road, but it also limits children in receiving the benefits of early …

Primary Education And The Use Of Technology, Neyfy Fernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Modern day technology has seeped into homes at an alarming rate in the past decade. Children now have access to computer programs, applications, social media and educational programs all at their reach. The classroom isn’t immune to this scenario. This senior capstone project explored whether technology is beneficial in the classroom for primary children. Literature reviews and teacher questionnaires from four Gonzales Unified School District teachers were used to answer the question. The results found that social and emotional development was the most vital aspect in the preschool level and when technology was used in the classroom strict screen time …

An Investigation Of Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding A Quality Preschool Classroom, Nicole Bogusch

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research study surveyed preschool teachers and aids at one public PK-5th grade elementary school. The administered survey included questions informed by both the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) and Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Additional data collected consisted of classroom observations of current preschool teachers at work during a 25-35-minute time period. The research lasted one month and consisted of multiple components including surveys and observations. The data from the study suggests that preschool teachers and aids possessed a mastery of knowledge surrounding factors important for quality early childhood classrooms. Specifically, the teachers and aids excelled in their …

The Influence Of Publicly Funded Preschool Programs In New Jersey Public School Districts On Student Achievement In Fourth Grade, Stephanie Elizabeth Kuchar

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational, explanatory, cross-sectional study aimed to explain the influence of a school district having a publicly funded preschool program on English language arts and mathematics test results on the New Jersey Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) for fourth graders. The study aimed to provide research-based evidence on the influence of publicly funded preschool programs on a district. The study used focused on the thirty-five (35) New Jersey school districts that had public preschool programs in 2012. The study concluded that consistent student attendance was a significant factor in districts with preschool programs when it …

Quality Child Care In Missouri: The Intersections Of Policy And Teachers' Perceptions Of Quality Child Care, Catherine Slade

MSU Graduate Theses

A child’s health and well-being is supported by the environment in which they learn and develop. For an average of 36,000 children in Missouri, their environment includes an out-of-home child care program. Child care regulations are designed to protect the health and safety of children in child care. Using a constant comparative method, this study examined the extent to which the child care licensing regulations in Missouri align with the 13 Indicators of Quality Child Care published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This study also examined how effective teachers working in child care programs felt …

Immigrant Parents’ Understanding Of Play-Based Learning, Tajmeen Sandhu

Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership (HBECL) Capstone Research Posters

It is widely known within the field of Early Childhood Education that play lays a foundation for life-long learning in a child’s life. Furthermore, the partnerships between a parent and educator are crucial for the holistic development of a child. This study explored immigrant parents’ perceptions of play-based learning and analyzed their relationships with their child’s educators. This qualitative study used a narrative design approach and collected data through semi-structured face-to-face interviews which took place with immigrant parents. The data revealed that the participants do not understand the full benefits of play-based learning. Four major themes emerged from the findings; …

Peer Modeling Vs. Teacher Modeling For The Inclusive Preschool Classroom, Joshalyn Loutsch

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of peer modeling versus teacher modeling for students with special needs within the inclusive preschool setting. Data was collected for three different developmental areas for students with special needs: social emotional, language, and cognitive abilities. The data gathered determined that both peer modeling and teacher modeling are effective teaching strategies for students with special needs, but it is unclear whether one strategy is more efficient than the other is. Preschool is the foundation for a child's education and teachers need research-based strategies to implement quality instruction for students with special …

Using Rubrics And Self-Monitoring With Young Children, Jackie White

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project studied the effects of using rubrics with preschool children. Research has shown the benefits of using rubrics with older students. This research project studied the effects of the Teaching Strategies Gold name-writing rubric with preschool-aged children. The literature review shows that young children are capable of metacognitive awareness to determine what needs to be learned. Rubrics can be implemented to aid students in evaluating their progress toward a learning goal. One group of preschool-aged children, three- to five-years of age, used the name-writing rubric to monitor their progress toward independently writing their name and was compared …

Executive Function And Self Regulation In Early Childhood, Jill Casey

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

There has been a shift in the kindergarten classroom from one filled with play and exploration to one filled with academic rigor. In response to this, the focus of many preschool classrooms have also shifted to focus more on academic development rather than social emotional development. Executive function skills, which include inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility have been found to predict academic success and school readiness more than IQ. Self-regulation which refers to controlling behavior in response to a stimulus is interrelated with executive function and also is a predictor of success. Caregivers and early childhood classrooms must …

Fostering Creative Thinking Skills In Young Children Using Design Thinking Challenges, Tom R. Gannon

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

For this master’s project I developed a set of resources (guidebook, videos, and presentation deck) which provide child development professionals with a framework and set of skills to facilitate design thinking challenges (open-ended problem-solving activities based on design thinking’s phases of: creating empathy, problem identification, ideation, prototyping, and idea testing) with preschool age children. The centerpiece of the project is the guide book titled Save the Gingerbread Man: Understanding & Supporting Creative Thinking Skills in Preschoolers. The videos are interviews with preschool age children in a series called From the Experts. The presentation deck incorporates can include the …

Assessment Of Inclusive Practices In Head Start Preschool Classrooms: Access, Participation, And Supports, Ifthika "Shine" Nissar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess inclusive practices in Head Start preschool classrooms. In 1972, Public Law PL 94-242 mandated Head Start enrollment to include 10% of students with disabilities (Allen & Cowdery, 2009). Research on assessment of inclusive practices within Head Start preschool classrooms is limited (Gallagher & Lambert, 2006; Muccio, 2012).

This study implemented a quantitative, descriptive design approach. Correlational analysis was conducted to explore answers to the research questions according to access, participation, and supports constructs (DEC/NAEYC, 2009). An Inclusion Crosswalk model was introduced. Data revealed that the underlying factor structure of the …

Aces & Trauma-Informed Practices For Children & Educators In Early Childhood Education, Ariel L. Llorente

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), consist of the negative and traumatic events that have happened in the early years of a person’s life. The focus here is on childhood trauma. There are many types of trauma, including, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect, exposure to domestic and general violence, as well as household substance abuse, mental illness, racism, parental separation/divorce, and others. Trauma produces both physical and psychological challenges and can disrupt the brain’s development from birth through 18 years of age, causing permanent damage and issues, which we will discuss throughout this thesis. This thesis will explore …

Improving Well-Being In Preschool: The Role Of Autonomy In Transitions, Catherine Weiss

Scripps Senior Theses

ABSTRACT

The following proposed study aims to examine self-determination theory (SDT) in preschool transitions. Transitions are defined as the collective movement from one physical space to another. SDT states that autonomy is one of three basic psychological needs for well-being. The impacts of autonomy on well-being will be assessed on 170 preschool children aged 2-6 (M=4yro) randomly sampled from two schools in the LA area. Research indicates that transitions are challenging due to improper teacher preparation and the common presence of behavioral challenges in preschool children. Additionally, integrating choice into education has been shown to improve well-being and …