Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Executive Functioning And Self-Regulation Learning In The Early Childhood Years, A Calming Safe Space To Support The Emotional Development Of Young Children., Amy Strunc

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers often serve as a resource for classroom teachers, assistants, parents, paraprofessionals, and administration seeking behavioral guidance. Children need to be equipped with strategies to regulate their emotions before they reach the point of outbursts, elopement, shutdowns, or aggressive behavior. Classroom calm-down spaces are essential for all children to take a break and practice self-regulation, initially learning through co-regulation with teachers. This project aims to provide a framework for providing explicit instruction to children to manage their emotions at the earliest signs of dysregulation, enabling them to remain in the learning zone. The project also …

Social Emotional Learning Resources And Evaluations For Kindergarten Students, Jacquelyn Becker

Masters Projects

Kindergarten is looking very different these years because of the increase in requirements and standards. The push is affecting teachers and students. Teachers are having to use scripted lessons and focus on test preparation instead of teaching based on the students developmental needs. Students are being pushed and given less time to play and explore while they are in school. The lack of free play and the push academically, students are starting to show negative behavior and acting out while they are in class. This project focuses on the benefits of play and teaching social emotional learning (SEL) skills for …

Teachers’, Administrators’, And Staff’S Perspectives On Their Role In Supporting Preschool Mental Health, Jennifer Ann Coggin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Early Childhood Physical Environments Centers According To (Cpers5) Scale. تقدير خصائص البيئات الفيزيقية لمراكز رعاية الطفولة المبكرة باستخدام مقياس (Cpers5), Zain Douba

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Education and Psychology

The research aims to prepare an arabized version of the scale for assessing the characteristics of physical environments for children in its fifth edition, the children`s physical environments rating scale (cpers5), prepared by moore, shogiyama, and o`donnell (m00re, sug iyama&o`donnell, 2012). The scale was built with the aim of providing a tool for estimating the characteristics of early childhood care center environments that include ages from birth to 6 years of age, on a scientific, accurate, and comprehensive basis, and to cover the shortco mings of previous standards in the field of assessing the quality of early childhood environments. It …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Instructional Practices For English Language Learners Implemented During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Loubna El Bdaoui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Problem Behavior In Early Childhood Special Education, Morgan N. Giola

Masters Projects

Research has revealed an increasing number of instances of problem behavior exhibited by students with special needs in early childhood classrooms. This project explores the problem of increased problem behavior in early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms and how to decrease the prevalence of this challenge. Through an extensive literature review, this project concludes that providing ECSE educators with professional development and resources on research-based approaches and strategies to addressing problem behavior is the key to tackling this problem. The professional development included in this project informs the importance of solving this problem, including short- and long-term implications of students …

Benefits Of Primary Grade Dual Language Immersion Programs, Karen Green Mesa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Development Of S.T.E.A.M. Daises In Formal And Informal Environments For Educating Primary I Learners, Frances Neville

Masters Theses

The federal government has made education a competition among ourselves. Learning is not a rivalry to be imposed on our physical and cognitive development as humans. Escalating beliefs recognize education is more encompassing than CCSS, assessments and the grade level time frames in which standards are to be taught. On the precipice of anti-intellect, low expectations, and what has been termed “The Dumbing of America” an investigation into what it would take to close the achievement gap and increase student learning is overdue.

The goal for my Michigan based project, S.T.E.A.M. Daises, was to develop a program focusing on the …

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. However, with regard to education, adopting in disciplines remains limited largely to Computer Science and Information Technology in postsecondary education. Recent advances with technology are especially promising for their potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to …

Perceptions Of Play-Based Curricula As An Effective Model Of Instruction For Children With Special Needs, Angela Bernice Cooper

Online Theses and Dissertations

This is a study of teachers’ perceptions of the use of play-based curricula as an effective model of instruction for children with special needs. Participants surveyed were representative of preschool teachers in rural southeastern Kentucky. The study employed qualitative methods. Semi structured interviews were used to collect data from the participants to elicit rich responses based on real-life experiences using play-based curricula. No earlier studies had been conducted on this topic, and the research base was limited. Research participants consisted of thirteen preschool teachers from both public preschool and licensed childcare programs. The findings indicated that most teachers interviewed agreed …

Transitioning Into Kindergarten, Faith C. Dysard

Masters Projects

Historically, kindergarten is the place where many children receive their educational foundation. The current demand on children and educators has changed from play-based education to more of an academic focus, for which some children are not ready. At University Prep Art and Design Elementary School, incoming kindergartners are assessed when they are admitted and then invited to participate in a weeklong summer bridge program. This project will explain different factors that provide reasoning as to why children are not ready for kindergarten and give a layout of a transitional program that children, teachers, and families can participate in to better …

Increasing Social And Emotional Competencies Among Special Education Preschoolers, Alix Li Katz-Polowitz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My capstone project focused on preschoolers’ emotional competence, which is defined as the ability to purposefully and truly experience a variety of emotions while regulating behavior patterns (Domitrovich et al., 2017). It is difficult for preschoolers to regulate their emotions and even more challenging for SPED children. Children who have difficulties associated with being in SPED are often rejected by other children and do not have opportunities to develop strong social skills. This can result in these children avoiding social situations in general, which causes them to fall further behind their peers with their social abilities (Schmitt et al., 2021). …

Paraprofessional Training Materials, Program Implementation & Review, Breann Brewer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

If ever you enter a special education classroom, you may encounter a few events. You may witness a classroom of impressive, almost automatic interactions, delivered in a way so eloquent that the students and staff seem to be in an effortless dance with one another. Or, you may witness a classroom that feels heavy with needs; needs of more staff, more help, more hands, and more time. This visual exercise demonstrates how the structure of a special education classroom sets the tone for student growth and success.

One pivotal part of a special education classroom is the paraeducators. Paraeducators, also …

Childcare Organizations: A Qualitative Study On Childcare Leaders’ Perceptions Of The Elements That Promote The Work They Do In The Childcare Industry, Paula S. Polito Mrs.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Research has often highlighted the positive effects of high-quality early care and education on children's development and the economy. However, the challenge of ensuring access to quality care for all children and understanding the perspectives of leaders doing crucial work on the ground remains. Given the strong associations between high-quality early childhood education, brain development, and positive economic outcomes for those who access high-quality care, my paper introduces a theory of change. This theory outlines a pathway from understanding the determinants of quality in childcare centers, as seen through the eyes of industry leaders, to the implementation of policy changes. …

Characteristics Of Award-Winning Children’S Books About Agriculture: An Analysis Of Content, And The Perspectives Of Authors, Illustrators, And Publishers, Addison L. Beckham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this two-article qualitative study was to characterize children's literature about agriculture and to describe the perceptions of authors and illustrators who are responsible for writing and designing these successful publications. This will result in the ability of organizations like Feeding Minds Press to provide writers, illustrators, and publishers with effective strategies and techniques to improve the accuracy and overall quality of children’s literature about agriculture. Few parameters exist for authors of children’s books about agriculture (Biser, 2007). These parameters are necessary to ensure the quality and accuracy of these educational efforts (Serafini, 2012). Though Feeding Minds Press …

The Importance Of Teaching Social-Emotional Skills To Young Children, Stephanie Valdez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My capstone project enhances the social-emotional skills of preschool children, which are fundamental for relationships, emotional management, and empathy. Children lacking these skills may struggle in learning, behavior, and socializing when they progress to elementary school. Studies have shown that social-emotional competence and cognitive competence are critical predictors of academic accomplishment (Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Student Benefits: Implications for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Core Elements, n.d.). Children in preschool who lack these skills may experience difficulties in learning, behavior, and socializing as they progress to elementary school (Amy Morin, 2019). A significant issue arises when children encounter obstacles …

Cooperative Extension Programming For Early Care And Education Professionals During The First Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence From A National Survey Of Extension Systems, Katherine Speirs, Azriella Friedman, Courtney Luecking, Kyleigh Brown

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Cooperative Extension Systems (CESs) provide programming to early care and education (ECE) professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the needs of ECE professionals. The purpose of this study was to document how CESs helped ECE professionals respond to the pandemic during its first year and how Extension programming was altered in response to the pandemic. Between March and June 2020, representatives from all 87 CESs in the 50 U.S. states; Washington, DC; and six U.S. territories were invited to complete an online survey that included six questions about the pandemic. We received responses from 43 CESs (49% response rate). The …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions Of Inclusive Preschool Education Through The Lens Of Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Educators., Brooke Noon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young children with special needs have been educated in early childhood settings with typically developing peers for over 40 years. Successful educational inclusion in the least restrictive environment requires appropriate aids and supports (Individuals with Disabilities Act, 2004). Although researchers have studied many aspects of special education, little investigation has been conducted on the perspectives of dual certified interdisciplinary early childhood educator’s (IECE) perceptions on full inclusion in preschool. This study was designed to examine the connection between the perceptions of IECE teacher’s experiences as a dual certified educator in preschool. In total, 10 IECE teachers were interviewed and completed …

The Power Of Play: The Role Of Children’S Museums In Kindergarten Readiness, Catie Davis

All Dissertations

This study explores the transformative potential of play in preparing young children for Kindergarten, focusing on the intersection of children's museums, caregiver interactions, and school readiness. The study, conducted over an eight-week Pop-Up Classroom program at The Flowerfield Children's Museum, included 52 participants, primarily from low-income backgrounds. Through a mixed-methods approach, including participant observations and caregiver surveys, the research aimed to answer the fundamental question: What is the role of play in preparing children for Kindergarten?

Two significant findings emerged. Firstly, the study illuminated the pivotal role of play in nurturing social-emotional development and communication skills among children. Structured observations …

Mindfulness As An Emotional Well-Being Tool For Beginning Teachers, Brittany Crumley

All Dissertations

Today’s early educators are responsible for providing a stimulating learning environment to facilitate student academic outcomes, in addition to providing a positive emotional climate to support student social-emotional functioning. Early childhood educators engage with various physical and emotional stressors throughout the workday (e.g., disruptive behaviors, standardized assessment), and to be effective, they must be able to cope with their own emotional reactivity. Teacher experiences of work stress may lead to decreased performance, burnout, and poor student outcomes, creating serious concerns for the education environment. One transferable strategy to help teachers’ emotional well-being is mindfulness self-care (e.g., breathing practices), which can …

Emergent Literacy And Early Reading Skills In Chinese-Mandarin: Evidence From Kindergarten And First-Grade Children, Yingshan Huang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The development of emergent literacy, a precursor to formal reading, has been linked to subsequent conventional literacy skills in Chinese children. The factors important for acquiring Chinese reading skills, such as phonological and morphological awareness, have primarily been studied in primary school children rather than preschoolers. The complete picture of factors contributing to early reading skills in Mandarin-speaking Chinese preschool children remains unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore emergent literacy and early reading skills in preschool and early school-aged children and investigate the connections between them to address gaps in existing literature. Methodology: A cross-sectional design …

Parent Choice: Learning Pods Or Public Education During Covid-19 Pandemic, Shari Kinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the decision-making process of K-12 parents living in the Appalachian Highlands who chose to remove their children from traditional public schools to join learning pods (sometimes referred to as pandemic pods) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to answer this overarching question, the researcher focused her study on two areas: first, what were the possible push factors that influenced parents to remove their children from public schools, and secondly, what were the pull factors that lead parents to choose learning pods over other school choice options. Through the data collected …

Childhood Trauma In Early Care And Education: Understanding School Administrators’ Perceptions, Olawale Olubowale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study explores childhood trauma with a primary focus on the beliefs and attitudes of elementary school administrators in their ability to offer trauma-informed leadership and assist their teachers in trauma-informed care (TIC) and education. Participants at various stages of their careers were recruited from elementary schools across 10 U.S. states (N = 240). Employing an explanatory sequential mixed method design, Phase I assessed school administrators’ attitudes using the attitudes related to trauma-informed care scale (ARTIC-45) (see Appendix A). Phase II employed semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data to explain further and clarify the quantitative results. Findings suggest …

The Role Of Digital Technologies In Supporting Quality Improvement In Australian Early Childhood Education And Care Settings, Maria Hatzigianni, Tanya Stephenson, Linda J. Harrison, Manjula Waniganayake, Philip Li, Lennie Barblett, Fay Hadley, Rebecca Andrews, Belinda Davis, Susan Irvine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This national study explored the role of digital technologies in early childhood education and care settings and whether they could contribute to quality improvement as reported by educators and assessors of quality in Australia. In this paper, data from Stage 2 of the Quality Improvement Research Project were used, which comprised 60 Quality Improvement Plans from educators linked with 60 Assessment and Rating reports from the assessors who visited early childhood centres as part of the administration of the National Quality Standards by each of Australia’s State and Territory jurisdictions. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, U. (1995).Developmental ecology through space …

Professional Development, Digital Platforms, And Middle School Education During Covid-19, Cynthia Susan Castro

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 outbreak shifted towards online learning, requiring educators and administrators to adapt to new digital platforms and technologies quickly. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine whether there is a significant difference in the frequency of use of digital platforms among middle schools. Secondly, it explores the relationship between teachers' attendance at professional development sessions and their integration of Nearpod lessons during the pandemic. Lastly, it investigates the relationship between the time campus principals invested in technology-related professional development and teachers' adoption of digital platforms at their respective campuses. Surveys and administrative records were …

Global Educational Ramifications Of Covid-19 On Minorities And Students Living In Poverty Or Extreme Poverty: A Literature Review, Jessie S. Thacker-King

Journal of Global Education and Research

Public education requires all stakeholders to collaborate as a community and focus on the essential factors that create a path for student progress, growth, and maturity. The result nurtures students from kindergarten to graduation and beyond and affords them opportunities to become efficacious members of their communities. Schools are a business operating on the premise of the service industry, working collectively with and for the communities they serve. Their operational parameters are to work with all stakeholders to successfully facilitate excellence in education for all students regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Recent COVID-19 school closures have opened dialogues …

Facilitating Effective Mathematical Teaching Practices In Preschool, Funda Gonulates, Jasook Gilbert

Journal of Global Education and Research

Initial seeds for mathematics literacy are planted during early childhood. Children benefit when they are exposed to and provided with opportunities for math experiences that emphasize their holistic development and not just mathematics proficiency in isolation. This way of viewing and presenting mathematics to young children requires teachers who are equipped with strong mathematics teaching skills. This study examined a 21-hour professional development series for public school preschool teachers on early numeracy, geometry, mathematical reasoning, and teaching pedagogies. This professional development series aimed to help preschool teachers incorporate effective mathematical practices and increase their comfort level in teaching mathematics. Participants …

Teacher Certification During Multiple Pandemics In The Epicenter Of It All, Deborah Greenblatt 4509457

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Teacher certification exams were put on hold as New York City became the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in March of 2020. State officials closed testing centers and school buildings, and teacher candidates began to panic as administrators at their student teaching placements worked feverishly to adjust. This changed teacher candidates’ ability to complete the performance assessment required for certification (edTPA). Concurrently, COVID-19 was disproportionally affecting the Black community (Phillips et al., 2020) and areas with limited financial resources. Based on the demographics of students at The City University of New York, there were extensive health challenges for many of …

Urban Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Challenges In Teaching Primary Grade English Language Learners, Justina Chizomam Bigelow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Singing In Dark Times: Improvisational Singing With Children Amidst Ecological Crisis, Stephanie Schuurman-Olson

Occasional Paper Series

Through this research-creation project -- which is represented by a process-driven ten-minute video -- the author asks what ways of knowing emerge when children and adults, more-than-human, and inhuman engage in improvised singing together in an urban park? This project recognizes our current "dark times" within ecological collapse and operates from a space that hopes to build relationality with sonic ecologies through listening-and-singing experiences, while centering the voices of children and other singers within the ecologies we sing in-and-with.